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The elephant stepped out of the flag 
of Siam, trumpeting 



























aura Rouniree Smiih 

^tuihor of 

‘ 3ke • Pixie • in • the •Bouse,” 

^Ke Pixie Oui-Ooors,” 
Bunnvj Books, Etc. 

illustrations by 
Clara PowerslDllsoa 




















Copyright 

A. C. McClurg & Co. 
1919 


Published November, 1919 


• « c 

* • 



MV -7 


©CI.A535609 



''WO 



bib! ■JH]l % ZHt? 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

The elephant stepped out of the flag of Siam, trump¬ 
eting . Frontispiece '' 


They all stepped aboard and the vessel set sail. & 

That Cat has a look that’s very wise; perhaps he does 

it for exercise. 46 . 

There’s nothing nicer, I declare, than a pretty, little, 

musical chair. 66 

The Pixie waved his flag, and cried: “ Make way for 

the infantry”. 92^ 

Round and round the circle go; thus we make a 

Puppet Show. 128 ^ 






























CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I The Little Wee House by the Sea .... i 

II The Pixie’s Invitation.13 

III A Ride in a Dinner Pail.24 

IV Hard Times Visits Fred.34 

V A Spelling Lesson.44 

VI In Mary’s Room.52 

VII In Music Land.62 

VIII The Cooking School.69 

IX The Pixie’s Store.78 

X Flag Day in School.87 

XI A Sure-Enough Merry Christmas .... 95 

XII The Sewing School.104 

XIII The Fourth of July Parade.112 

XIV The Puppet Show.120 

XV Circus Day in School.128 

















































THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


CHAPTER I 

THE LITTLE WEE HOUSE BY THE SEA 

T HE Pixie sat in his little wee house by 
the seashore singing, 

The Pixie is so very merry 
At his work and play, 

In his wee house by the sea. 

Come visit him today! 

Sure enough, the Pixie was at work. 

He was making a flag of red, white, and 
blue. 

He was making it of neckties, and hair-rib¬ 
bons. 

He used a blue handkerchief for the field 
of blue, and he cut stars from a white hand¬ 
kerchief he had found. 

[i] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


He sang another little song while he was 
working, 

I wish that I could go to school, 

And not be called a Fool’s-Cap Fool, 

But here I sit and work away. 

I make five-pointed stars today. 

At this very minute “rap-a-tap” was heard 
on the door. 

There stood Jack and Jill hand in hand! 

The Pixie was so delighted to see them that 
he turned a backward somersault, and cried, 

You’re just as welcome as can be, 

In my little wee house beside the sea. 

I*hen the most surprising thing happened! 

The Pixie curled up in a shell, until nothing 
could be seen of him except the little red tassel 
on his cap. 

“Oh, oh, oh,” cried Jack and Jill, “you are 
our own dear Pixie, after all! ” 

Just then, the children looked around and 
Jack cried, “There is my red necktie,” and Jill 
cried, “There is my white hair-ribbon; I have 
looked and looked for it! ” 

[ 2 ] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The Pixie peeped out from the shell and 
cried, 

You drop your handkerchiefs around, 

The white and blue ones I just found. 

Jack and Jill laughed and the Pixie con¬ 
tinued, creeping out of the shell, 

Just hold a sea-shell to your ear, 

And some surprising things you’ll hear. 

Jack and Jill each held a sea-shell up to 
their ears, but all they could hear was a roaring 
sound, much like the roar of the sea. 

Then the Pixie called, 

Rap on the panel, follow me, 

And many wonderful flags you’ll see. 

He rapped on the panel. A little door 
opened, and the children followed him into a 
room that looked like a picture gallery, but 
in place of pictures, there were flags, flags, 
everywhere. 

Best of all, five-and-twenty Pixies sat, mak¬ 
ing five-and-twenty flags, all different, in size 
and color. 


[3l 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The Pixie took a little whistle from inside 
his cap and blew upon it, and the five-and- 
twenty Pixies disappeared in the twinkling of 
an eye. 

Jack and Jill and their own dear Pixie were 
alone with the flags. 

The Pixie said, 

So many things I must explain, 

Come, look at this old flag of Spain! 

They stood before the flag used in Spain in 
1492. 

There were the golden castles on the field 
of red. 

There were the lions on the white field. 

Jack and Jill almost held their breath as 
one of the castle doors opened, and a tiny 
Prince bowed to the Pixie. 

The Prince said, 

Dear Pixie, will you come inside? 

The castle’s roomy, large, and wide. 

The Pixie shook his head, but he went up 
and stroked one of the lions upon the flag, and 
[4] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


the lion grew more and more lifelike, and 
more and more lifelike, and tossed his mane 
and began to lash his tail to and fro. 

Jack said, “What a great, heavy mane he 
has!” 

Jill said, “ He really is lashing his tail. 
What if he should come alive?” 

The Pixie stroked the lion once more and 
he grew more and more lifelike and more and 
more lifelike, and down he jumped from the 
flag, growling pleasantly, 

Jack and Jill, I’m glad you came, 

The Friendly Lion is my name. 

He lashed his tail and paced to and fro, and 
Jack and Jill were not a bit afraid. 

Next they all stood before the banner that 
Columbus carried. 

They looked a long time at the green cross 
of hope on the white field. 

Jack reached up and took one of the crowns 
from the flag and placed it on his head, and 
Jill reached up and took the other crown and 
placed it on her head saying, “ Where is the 
crown for the Friendly Lion?” 

[5] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


At this, the Friendly Lion looked cross-eyed 
and said, 

How can I ever sail the sea, 

When there is no crown left for me? 

The Pixie hopped and skipped about and 
said, 

No one should make a sighing sound, 

When on discovery they are bound. 

Then, to the surprise of all, the flag began 
to wave to and fro, and the cross upon it 
changed to a little vessel, and they all stepped 
aboard, and the vessel set sail. 

They sailed away, away, away. 

Jack said, “You have the most lifelike flags 
in the world; I wonder what Fred would say 
to them.” 

Jill said, “Half the time he does not be¬ 
lieve in the Pixie.” 

At this, the Friendly Lion began to lash his 
tail and the vessel rocked to and fro, and the 
waves dashed high. 

The Pixie blew a little silver whistle and 
they all stood still. 


[6] 








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They all stefified aboard and the 
vessel set sail 
















































































* i 






















































































































THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Columbus came on board that very minute 
and said, 


I have visitors, one or two, 

I’m very glad to discover you. 

Jack and Jill shook hands politely, but the 
Friendly Lion growled, “ You are always dis¬ 
covering things, Columbus!” 

The Pixie curled up in an old armchair and 
fell asleep. 

Columbus showed the children some won¬ 
derful sea-shells and coral he had picked up 
on one of his voyages. 

They were pretty shells of different shapes 
and sizes. 

The Friendly Lion whispered, 

Don't wake the Pixie, don't let one fall; 

If he sees the shells he will want them all. 

Columbus laughed and said, “He is wel¬ 
come to all my shells if he wants them.” 

Jack and Jill said, “We wish Little Mary 
was here to see all these wonderful things.” 

Just then, the lights on the vessel went out. 

Jack said, “I am seasick.” 

[71 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Jill said, “I am homesick. 5 ’ 

The Friendly Lion paced to and fro on the 
deck. 

“We must wake the Pixie,” said Jack and 
Jill. 

Now, if you guessed one hour and sixteen 
minutes, you never could imagine what hap¬ 
pened next! 

The Pixie woke and pulled a little bell 
from his pocket. The bell went, “ tinkle, 
tinkle, tinkle! ” 

Out of each shell about them came a fairy, 
so light and airy, dancing and singing, as they 
joined hands, 

In a little sea-shell’s curled, 

Such a very fairy world. 

Turk’s Cap, Nautilus, come out, 

We’ll have some fun without a doubt! 

The Starfish gave them light, and every 
fairy came out of his shell. 

A little Turk came out of the Turk’s-Cap 
shell, and a trapeze performer came out of the 
Trapeze shell. 

The fairies gave a little circus right on board 
the vessel. 


[8] 




THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The Friendly Lion paced to and fro and 
complained that Columbus was down in the 
cabin discovering something. 

“Oh, oh, oh,” cried Jack and Jill, “we never 
knew before that there were fairies in sea- 
shells, and that they are known by name ! 99 

They were having a merry time, when 
Columbus called “Land! land!” and in less 
time than it takes to tell it, the vessel landed 
by the little wee house beside the sea. 

The Friendly Lion jumped back to his place 
upon the flag. 

The Prince opened the castle door and 
called, 

I know you were on discovery bound, 

I really wonder what you found! 

The Pixie waved his hand in a friendly 
fashion to the Prince, but called to Jack and 
Jill, 

Whatever you see, come follow me, 

But don’t speak a word, so it can be heard. 

They followed the Pixie into his little room 
and there they saw a wonderful sight. All the 
[ 9 ] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Sea-Shell Fairies were brushing and dusting 
the room! They hung up an American flag. 
Then they brought a little stone table and set 
it for the Pixie. 

The Pixie cried, 

Put on three empty plates, and fill 
For Pixie, and for Jack, and Jill! 

The Sea-Shell Fairies danced about and put 
on three sea-shell plates, singing a fairy song. 

A little wee fish, well-cooked, and smoking- 
hot appeared on each plate. 

“Flow fine!” said Jack. 

“How wonderful!” said Jill. 

They forgot the Pixie’s warning. 

They forgot and spoke out loud. 

They did not sit down to the Pixie’s table 
that day, or the next, or next. 

They were whisked back home in less time 
than it takes to tell it, and Fred was calling, 

Wake up, wake up, sleepy-heads, 

You’ve had at least ten hours in bed! 

“ Oh dear! why didn’t we mind the Pixie? ” 
said Jack. 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


“Why did we speak out loud and break the 
spell’?” said Jill. 

Perhaps some day, when you grow old, 

You’ll learn to do as you are told, 

sang the Pixie, and just then Little Mary came 
dancing into the room. 

She said, “See the pretty sea-shells I found 
under your window! ” 

Jack and Jill put the shells up to their ears 
and listened, but they could only hear the 
roaring of the sea. 

Little Mary said, “See, the Pixie is dancing 
on the window-sill.” 

Sure enough, he was dancing about, waving 
a tiny flag red, white, and blue, and he sang, 

By the big Horn Spoon, I’ll learn some things soon, 
Said the Pixie, as a rule, 

A flag bright and new, red, white, and blue, 

Should wave in every school! 

“Hurrah, hurrah, for the red, white, and 
blue!” cried the children, looking for the 
Pixie, but this time he was nowhere to be seen. 

Jill said, “I wonder whose handkerchiefs and 
• [it] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


neckties and ribbons, the Pixie will find to¬ 
day!” 

Jack said, “I am going to make an old 
Spanish flag and see if the Friendly Lion will 
visit us! ” 


[12] 



CHAPTER II 


THE PIXIE’S INVITATION 

/^\NE winter day the Pixie sat in his little 
wee house by the seashore singing, 

I’m a Pixie, as you know, 

Into school I’d like to go! 

At that very minute, a letter came floating 
in the open window. 

It was an invitation from Jack and Jill. 

They asked the Pixie to come to school next 
day to hear their exercises, as they were going 
to keep Washington’s Birthday. 

At the end of the letter were the initials, 
“R. S. V. P” 

The Pixie screwed his little face up into 
forty-nine wrinkles and said, “I understand 
the invitation, but what does, ‘R. S. V. P.’ 
mean?” 

[ 13 1 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


As no one answered him he said to the Sea- 
Shell Fairies, 

I will answer soon as I am able, 

Bring my pen and ink and table. 

The Sea-Shell Fairies brought the Pixie his 
pen and ink and table, but the Pixie did not 
begin to write at once for “rap-a-tap” was 
heard on the door, and in walked the great, 
great, great grandfather! 

He looked big as life and twice as natural! 

The Pixie was so happy to see him, they 
danced and the great, great, great grand¬ 
father’s beard whirled round and round. 

By and by the Pixie told about his invita¬ 
tion and asked the great, great, great grand¬ 
father what the letters “ R. S. V. P.” meant. 

The great, great, great grandfather sat in 
the red rocking-chair by the fire, and nodded 
his head, to and fro, for one hour and sixteen 
minutes, before he replied, 

It may have to do with school in September, 

But really, Pixie, I cannot remember! 

The Pixie said, “I will write a reply to Jack 
and Jill, anyway.” 


[14] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


He called to the Sea-Shell Fairies, 

Bring sheets of paper four-and-twenty. 

When you are getting, get a-plenty. 

They brought the Pixie a box of writing 
paper but he did not begin to write at once, 
for rap-a-tap” was heard on the door, and 
the funniest little old man came in. 

He was bent over, and carried a cane. 

He said in a squeaky voice, 

I am Hard Times, I cannot stay, 

I’ll only rest upon my way! 


T^hen the most surprising thing happened! 

As Hard Times came in, the lamp sputtered 
and went out. 

The great, great, great grandfather shivered 
and said, 

Hard Times, you’re very bent and old, 

You make it cold, so I am told! 

He began to grumble and the Pixie crept 
under a rug so far that only his little red slip¬ 
pers showed. 

[15] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The room grew colder, and colder, and Hard 
Times said in a sing-song kind of way, 

I’m Hard Times, Fve heard it said, 

I’d better go and look for Fred, 

He won’t believe, so I am told, 

In Pixies young, or Pixies old. 

Then, the Pixie crept out from under the 
rug and told where Fred lived, but he added, 

Please don’t disturb dear Jack and Jill, 

I loved them once, I love them still! 

Hard Times rapped upon the floor with his 
cane and said, 

I must journey on my way, 

So I wish you all good day. 

As he went out, the door slammed shut be¬ 
hind him. 

The lamp lit itself and the fire burned 
merrily. 

The great, great, great grandfather was the 
first to speak. He said, 

I feel as young as once I was 
One hundred years ago, 

I do not like to meet Hard Times, 

Indeed, ’twas always so! 

[16] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The Pixie began again to write to Jack and 
Jill. 

He looked at the “R. S. V. P.” and said, 

I do not know what that may mean, 

For skim-milk masquerades as cream! 

The Pixie was anxious to write, so he looked 
cross-eyed and said, 

I shall reply now quite politely, 

While our lamp is burning brightly! 

The great, great, great grandfather sud¬ 
denly remembered what “ R. S. V. P.” meant, 
and he chuckled and chuckled and chuckled, 
and finally said, 

I thought I’d tell you by and by 
It does mean that you must reply! 

This time the Pixie began to write a letter 
to Jack and Jill in real earnest, for he did want 
to go to school. 

He had never been to a Washington Birth¬ 
day celebration in all his life. 

You could hear his pen travel across the 
paper. 

[17] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


All this time the Friendly Lion was very 
busy. He went to a closet and got out an 
invisible coat and cap for the Pixie. He got 
an invisible blanket for himself. 

He said, 

Ride on my back now if you choose, 

We really have no time to lose. 

The Pixie was as merry as could be. 

He put on his invisible wraps and jumped 
on the Friendly Lion’s back, and away they 
rode over hill and dale, and came to the school 
just in time for the Washington celebration. 

All the children were dressed up and they 
were going to sing and speak. 

As Jack and Jill took their seats they whis¬ 
pered, “We are so afraid we will forget our 
pieces! ” 

Then, to their surprise, a well-loved voice 
said, 


I’ll creep into your desk, you see, 

And help, for you can count on me. 

“The Pixie! the Pixie! ” cried the children. 
Sure enough, the Pixie crept into their pen- 
[18] 




THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


cil-box and my, how he made the pencils rattle! 

The children sang and recited and every¬ 
thing went well, until the children were going 
to give a hatchet-drill. 

One little boy was absent. 

The Pixie crept out of the pencil-box and 
threw off his coat and cap and cried, 

Give me the place, I’ll fall in line; 

I like to be useful all the time. 

Jack and Jill held their breath, but the 
teacher nodded and the children seemed to 
think he was a very tiny new scholar. 

He went through the drill as well as any 
of them. 

liken surprising things happened! 

George and Martha Washington stepped 
over their picture frame, and invited all the 
children to a feast down in old Virginia! 

In less time than it takes to tell it, a 
log table was set and the children gathered 
around it. 

There was no food upon the plates. 

There was no milk in the glasses. 

There was no chocolate in the cups. 

[19] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Jack and Jill whispered to the Pixie that it 
was just a tableau, but he cried, 

I don’t believe now in the least 
In “ make-believe ” in any feast. 


Then, to the delight of all, little heart- 
shaped cookies appeared on the plates. They 
were covered with red sugar, and milk ap¬ 
peared in the glasses, and chocolate in the 
cups! 

The children had a real little feast after all, 
and the Pixie piped up, 

Our visitors now, as a rule, 

Should take refreshment too, in school. 

Then, into each visitor’s lap sailed down a 
tray with a red, white, and blue napkin upon 
it, and on the trays were dishes filled with 
good things and on each tray was a tiny flag. 

Little Mary was among the guests. 

How she enjoyed everything! 

Fred was among the guests, and he over¬ 
turned his tray just as he was saying, “ I don’t 
believe in the Pixie.” 


[20] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The Pixie looked very wise and said, 

Fred had better look out, 

For Hard Times is about! 

The Pixie slipped into his little invisible 
coat and cap and whispered to Jack and Jill, 

Fd like to come and keep each rule; 

It’s very pleasant here in school. 

He crept out the door, while the children 
and visitors were finishing their feast. 

Jack and Jill said, “Where did the Pixie 
go in such a hurry?” They saw that Fred too, 
had disappeared. 

The Pixie found the Friendly Lion waiting 
outside the door for him, and they rode mer¬ 
rily homeward.. 

The Pixie kept talking about Washington’s 
Birthday and he recited little verses about the 
flag. 

He had a tiny little red hatchet under his 
jacket. 

He had taken the hatchet from school, 
though written on the hatchet were the words, 
“Not to be taken from school.” 

[ 21 ] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


When the Pixie arrived home, the hatchet 
began to act in the strangest manner! 

It began to cut the legs of the tables and 
chairs and sang, 

Though I chopped the cherry tree 
Anything will do for me! 

The great, great, great grandfather said, 

’Tis a magic hatchet, very bold; 

I’ve often heard that story told. 

He whispered something to the Pixie, and 
the Pixie whispered something to the Friendly 
Lion. 

The Pixie then picked up the hatchet and 
tucked it under his jacket, and rode back to 
school as fast as the Friendly Lion could carry 
him. 

Everyone had gone home. 

The door was locked and the windows were 
fastened. 

Still, the hatchet talked about chopping 
down everything in sight! 

The Pixie said as quickly as the twinkling 
of an eye, 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


I am nimble now because 
I often helped old Santa Claus. 

Whisk! bound! he was up on the roof and 
dropped the hatchet down the chimney! 

He whispered to the Friendly Lion on the 
way home, 

Fve learned one lesson, as a rule, 

We should not take things out of school! 

The Friendly Lion lashed his great tail to 
and fro growling pleasantly. 

Better believe in the Pixie, ’tis said; 

I wonder what has become of Fred! 

The Pixie did not bother his head about 
that, but Jack and Jill said, on the way home, 
“We wonder what has become of Fred! ” 



CHAPTER III 


A RIDE IN A DINNER PAIL 

^THHE Pixie woke up one morning sing- 
ing, 

Do not be a Fool’s-Cap Fool; 

Better be on time to school. 

“Who is talking about school?” asked the 
great, great, great grandfather. 

The Friendly Lion paced up and down, 
lashing his tail to and fro. 

The Pixie said gayly, 

I will have a jolly time, 

If they leave out number nine. 

Then he packed his little lunch basket and 
started down the road with a hop and a skip 
and a bound. 

The great, great, great grandfather called, 
“Come back, come back, who will fill my 
pipe?” 


[24] 


THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The Sea-Shell Fairies called, “Come back! 
come back! 55 

The Friendly Lion curled up in the corner 
of the flag and fell asleep. 

The Pixie ran on singing, 

Ding, ding, dong, the school bells say, 

Pixie, be on time today. 

At that very minute the Pixie heard a new 
song. 

He heard a song that started, “Tick, tick, 
tick / 5 

Old Father Time came to meet him. 

He had watches all over him and carried 
such a heavy clock on his back that he was bent 
nearly double! 

He said, 

Ha, ha! Pm running away from school; 

The children dislike me as a rule. 

They beat time to music’s measure, 

And to me it is no pleasure. 

The Pixie begged Father Time to go back to 
school with him, saying, 

I will cheer you in song and rhyme, 

We really need you, old Father Time. 

[25] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Father Time only hurried away, the little 
watches and clocks he carried, singing, “Tick, 
tick, tick.” 

“Patter! patter! patter!” came two pairs 
of hurrying feet and Jack and Jill cried, “The 
Pixie, here is our own dear Pixie, starting to 
school! ” 

The Pixie shouted, 

I’m glad to meet you; this is fine, 

But do not mention number nine! 

The Pixie had disliked number nine, as long 
as he could remember. 

Jack and Jill laughed and said, “We will 
surely not mention nine, we are only on the 
five table so far. We must hurry, hurry, for 
we have been late to school twice this week.” 

The Pixie laughed again in his comical way, 
saying, 

Little Behind-Hand’s always late; 

You’ll find him waiting by the gate. 

Jack and Jill looked around, but they could 
not see Little Behind-Hand! 

They cried, “Oh dear, there goes the last 
[26] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


bell, and we are going to be late to school 
again! ” 

Then the most surprising thing happened! 

They were lost in the woods, though they 
had come to school down that path so often, 
and the Pixie pulled three little paper Fool’s 
Caps out of his pocket, saying, 

We are often late to school, 

So each must be a Fool's-Cap Fool. 

They put on their caps and sat down in a 
circle. 

To the surprise of all, our flag, and the flags 
of England, France, and Russia floated down 
inside the circle and began to talk of their 
colors red, white, and blue. 

Other flags came crowding in thick and fast, 
after that. So many flags had stripes, so many 
flags had the colors red, white, and blue. 

Jack and Jill said, <£ We did not know that 
so many flags had stars upon them! ” 

The stars on our own flag twinkled and 
sang, 

The Cuban flag has a single star, 

While two, you see, on Panama. 

[ 27 ] 






THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The little blue stars on the flag of Honduras 
twinkled, but before they could say a word, 
the star on the flag of Siberia said, 

Rubber, coffee, and ivory 

Are very important exports for me. 

Then, all the flags began to talk about their 
exports and there was a very exciting time! 

The great white elephant stepped out of the 
red flag of Siam, trumpeting: 

Come learn about me as soon as you can; 

I am the great white elephant of Siam. 

All the flags followed the great white ele¬ 
phant and soon disappeared. 

The Pixie said, “We did learn something 
about flags after all . 55 

The Pixie screwed up his face into forty- 
nine wrinkles and said, 

If we start to travel soon, 

We may get to school by noon! 

Jack and Jill and the Pixie picked up their 
dinner pails and started again to find their 
way out of the woods. 

[28] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


As they were on the wrong path, they only 
went deeper and deeper, into the woods! 

To the relief of all, by and by they heard 
someone growling pleasantly, 

The Friendly Lion is my name, 

I hope you’re really glad I came. 

There stood the Friendly Lion in the path 
before them. 

He said, 

The great, great, great grandfather wants tea; 

To do all his cooking I did not agree! 

They all hugged the Friendly Lion, got 
upon his back and rode so swiftly to school, 
they got there just as the afternoon bell was 
ringing! 

The Pixie whispered to the Friendly Lion 
and crept into Jack’s dinner pail, while the 
children went into school. 

The lesson was on flags, and Jack and Jill 
knew so much about them, that the teacher 
was surprised and pleased. 

Old Father Time had gotten back to school 
too. 


[29] 




THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


There he was inside the clock singing, 

Tick-tock! tick-tock! 

Keep time with the busy clock! 

What had become of the Pixie ? 

He was having an uncomfortable time in 
Jack’s dinner pail, for a boy had come along 
and screwed the cover on very tight, just in 
play. 

The Pixie wanted to get out. 

He kicked the cover with his little heels. 

He kicked and hammered with his little 
fists. 

He cried, 

I’m shut in fast, I cry and shout; 

Will nobody come to let me out? 

The Janitor passed through the hall and 
said, “What a queer-looking dinner pail, I 
will set it down cellar! ” 

Now, the Pixie did not want to go down 
cellar, so he kicked hard against the sides of 
the dinner pail, and the Janitor set it down 
on the steps outside the door. 

The Pixie wondered what would happen 
next when a great big dog came along. 

[30] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The dog was used to carrying things in his 
mouth, so he picked up the dinner pail and 
went trotting down the road. 

The Pixie shouted at the top of his lungs, 
but the old dog was deaf as a post and could 
not hear him. 

At four o’clock Jack said, “Where is my din¬ 
ner pail?” 

Jill said, “Oh Jack, the Pixie crept inside, 
do you suppose anyone screwed on the cover?” 

Their eyes grew very big and they said, “ Do 
you suppose the Pixie is still in the dinner 
pail?” 

Where was the dinner pail? 

Where was the Pixie? 

They ran home, still wondering about these 
things. 

The Little Mother heard their adventures 
and said, “How can I make you go to school 
on time?” 

Before Jack and Jill had a chance to reply, 
a fairy voice sang, 

If you would early start to bed, 

You would not be a sleepy-head. 

They could not see the Pixie. 

[ 3 1 1 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


“Oh!” and “Ah!” cried Jack and Jill. 

“That sounds like our Pixie,” cried Little 
Mary. 

“It can’t be the Pixie,” said Jack, “because 
he went home.” 

“It can’t be the Pixie,” said Jill, “because 
he went on fairy business.” 

Just then, a fairy voice sang, 

Don’t linger at the breakfast table; 

Be on time if you are able! 

They looked everywhere for the Pixie, but 
he was nowhere to be seen. 

A fairy voice piped up again, 

Put your books upon a chair: 

Place your wraps beside them there. 

Whatever you do — oh, never fail 

To take a ride in a dinner pail! 

The children knew then, that it was the 
Pixie, but still they could not find him. 

Outside on the doorstep, was Jack’s dinner 
pail. 

It was quite empty. 

Where could the Pixie be hiding 4 ? 

[ 3 2 1 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


An old dog stood near eating Jack’s lunch 
and a merry voice called, 

Heed the Pixie’s little rhyme, 

Learn to be in school on time. 

The Pixie intended to meet the children at 
school next day, but he did not go for three 
weeks and four days. 

He had a great deal of fairy business to 
attend to. 

Jack said that night, “X wonder where Fred 
is, I have not seen him all day.” 

Jill said, “X wonder if Hard Times has met 
him?” 


[ 33 ] 



CHAPTER IV 


HARD TIMES VISITS FRED 

“T DON’T believe in the Pixie,” said Fred, 
A one Saturday morning as he woke up, 
and heard the rain “rap-a-tap” on the win¬ 
dow-pane. 

Just at that very minute Hard Times went 
“rap-a-tap” on the door, and came in, saying, 

Hard Times has come to visit you; 

Good morning, Fred; how-do-you-do? 

Fred looked at his visitor and replied, “I 
really do not feel very well, and I never did 
like a rainy Saturday in all my life, and I 
won’t believe in the Pixie to please anyone! ” 

Then the most surprising thing happened! 

Hard Times pounded Fred upon the back 
until he begged him to stop. 

Fred asked him to sit in the easy-chair and 
Hard Times grumbled and scolded. 

You can guess when I’m about; 

I often put your fire out; 

[34] 


THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


I scold and tease, and if you please, 

I’ll just stay here, and take my ease! 

Fred began to wash his face and hands. 

There was ice in his washbowl and he 
thought the pitcher made a face at him. 

Fred was late to breakfast and Hard Times 
curled up on one of the rounds of his chair, 
muttering, 

Some people always have to wait; 

I think today I’ll make you late. 

Fred was so excited, he spilled his coffee, 
and burned his tongue. 

Jack and Jill said something about Hard 
Times, and Fred left the table. 

Fred was late to the store where he worked 
on Saturdays, and as he started to climb a lad¬ 
der, to fix something, he heard Hard Times 
whisper, 

Better not put your foot on that round; 

Stay here on the ground, safe and sound! 

“Mind your own business,” said Fred, 
climbing still higher up the ladder. He lost 
his balance and fell backward. 

[ 35 ] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


MyT how frightened Little Mother was 
when Fred was carried home! 

My! how fast Little Mary ran for the doc¬ 
tor! 

My! how Jack and Jill rejoiced when he 
found there were no bones broken, for the 
children dearly loved Fred. 

The doctor said he would feel all right soon 
and added, u We all have to meet Hard Times 
once in a while.” 

A low chuckle was heard and Hard Times 
said, 


I’m Hard Times; I’ve come to stay 
Unless you frighten me away. 

Jack and Jill looked under the sofa, and 
Little Mary looked in the closet. 

They could not find Hard Times, but they 
knew he was still about. 

By afternoon Fred went out. 

He got to the train just too late to go with 
the Football Team, and Hard Times said, 

Little Behind-Hand, as you see, 

Is a second cousin to me. 


[36] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Fred looked about and saw Little Behind- 
Hand pulling on his coat. 

He said, “So you are the fellow that has 
made me late all day. I’ll catch you and 
throw you into the pond! ” 

Little Behind-Hand was afraid then and 
ran away! 

As Fred went slowly homeward he met the 
Ten O’Clock Scholar from Primrose Hill. 

“What are you doing with books on Satur¬ 
day?” he asked. 

The Ten O’Clock Scholar replied, “I met 
Little Behind-Hand a while ago, and he made 
me a day late to school. If I wait by the door 
I may be on time for Monday! ” 

When Fred got home he had a toothache 
and Hard Times said, 

I’d like to follow you all day; 

Don’t try to send me far away. 

Jack and Jill came in and said, “We do 
wonder how we can send Hard Times away! ” 

Little Mary said, 

We will ask the Pixie, without a doubt 
He always knows what he’s about. 

[37] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Before Fred had time to say he did not be¬ 
lieve in the Pixie, there he came dancing on 
the window-sill. 

He had on a new cap with a bell upon it. 

The bell went “tinkle, tinkle, tinkle.” 

The Pixie said, 

Come, open your window just a crack; 

To squeeze in small places requires knack. 

The children let him in, you may be sure, 
and he danced first on one foot, then on the 
other, singing, 

Laugh a little — smile at play, 

Then Hard Times will call, good day! 

The children laughed as they always did 
at the Pixie, and Hard Times saw they were 
a very merry party. 

He took up his hat and coat and cane and 
said, 

I do not laugh, I’d rather cry; 

’Tis time for me to say good-bye. 

He went out the open window and the Pixie 
said, 

Always greet him with laugh and shout; 

That’s the way to keep Hard Times out. 

[ 38 ] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


“Even on a rainy Saturday?” asked Jack. 

“Even when everything goes wrong?” 
asked Jill. 

“Even when you meet Little Behind- 
Hand?” asked Mary. 

“Even when you fall off a ladder?” asked 
Fred. 

The Pixie danced about, singing, 

His manners always are the same; 

Sometimes he’s sorry that he came. 

“ He is sorry he came, if he finds us merry,” 
said the children, laughing again. 

The Pixie rolled up in a little ball, laugh¬ 
ing, “Ha, ha, ha!” 

Fred said politely, 

I think we’d get our money’s worth 

To hear the reason for your mirth. 

The Pixie replied, 

Hard Times wanted to visit me; 

I wouldn’t admit him, as you see. 

To the surprise of all, “rap-a-tap” was 
heard on the window-pane. 

[39] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


There stood the great, great, great grand¬ 
father on the window-sill twirling his long 
beard. 

He said, 

I am very lonesome, as you see; 

No one is half as old as me! 

His long beard waved so in the wind, it 
tangled his old legs all up, and it took Jack 
and Jill forty-three minutes to untangle it 
and invite him in! 

Just as the Pixie was going to tell about 
Hard Times knocking on his door that very 
morning, a voice growled, 

The Friendly Lion would not stay, 

All alone, at home today. 

There stood the Friendly Lion on the win¬ 
dow-sill, lashing his tail to and fro! 

When they were all comfortably seated on 
the floor, Jack and Jill begged the great, great, 
great grandfather to tell a story. 

He was a born story-teller, so he began, 

“ This morning I heard Hard Times rapping 
on the door, and I heard the Pixie laughing 
[40] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


in the kitchen, and beating time on the old 
dishpan, so I called down, 

Pots and pans, what can be the matter? 

Pixie you’re making a dreadful clatter. 

The Pixie interrupted the story-teller say¬ 
ing, 


What was it the Pixie said ? 

You had better call on Fred! 

“ Who is telling this story now?” asked the 
great, great, great grandfather, and it was so 
still you could have heard a pin drop. 

“The Pixie put salt in our coffee by mis¬ 
take,” he continued, “and burned the toast,” 
and I remarked, 

If you went to school frequently. 

You’d learn to cook, it seems to me. 

At this minute the Pixie interrupted the 
story-teller again. He twirled his cap round 
and round, and said, 

If I could have wishes, one, two, three, 

In the schoolroom we all would be. 

[411 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Fred did not know that the Pixie had on 
a Wishing Cap! 

Jack and Jill and Little Mary were sur¬ 
prised as could be, for in the twinkling of an 
eye, there they all sat at desks in a neat little 
schoolroom, and the great, great, great grand¬ 
father was the teacher. 

They recited together, 

Every scholar must pay a fine 

If he mentions number nine! 

Then the Friendly Lion began to read and 
his voice rose louder and louder and he began 
to roar as only a lion can. 

Fred cried, “He has become wild, he should 
be put in a cage. 5 ’ 

The Friendly Lion ran up and down the 
aisles and the Pixie whispered, 

It always puts him in a rage, 

To mention anything like a cage. 

At this very minute a familiar voice cried, 

Supper now is on the table; 

Come on, Fred, if you are able. 

[42] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Fred roused with a start. 

The schoolroom and his companions had 
vanished. 

He said as he kissed Little Mother, 

The Pixie must be here half the time, 

For Little Mother now talks in rhyme. 

The Pixie must have been pleased at that, 
for Father said at once, “I have good news 
for Fred; his drawing took a prize at the 
Fair! ” 

Everybody then became so merry they for¬ 
got all about Hard Times, and declared that 
Fred would become an artist. 

Fred said, “I had a queer dream about the 
Pixie and his Wishing Cap. I. am going to 
draw him as I saw him and I will draw the 
little bell on top of the cap that went, e tinkle, 
tinkle, tinkle.’” 

“I wish you would draw the great, great, 
great grandfather,” said Jack. 

“I wish you would draw the Friendly 
Lion,” said Jill. 


[43 ] 



CHAPTER V 


A SPELLING LESSON 


/^VNE day the Pixie sang as he was dress- 
^ ing, 


I want to be on time today, 

And go to school before I’m gray. 

“ You do, do you?” whistled the wind. 

The great, great, great grandfather said, 
“As breakfast is ready, you will surely be on 
time to school today.” 

The Pixie packed his lunch basket and laid 
one finger on the side of his nose, saying, 

I’ll get to school now without fail, 

But ril not ride in a dinner pail. 

Just then, the great, great, great grand¬ 
father said, 

“I have lost my glasses. Who will help me 
find my glasses? Where can I have laid my 
glasses?” 


[ 44 ] 


THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


He was so excited over the loss of his glasses 
that he talked every minute, and the Pixie 
ran this way, and the Friendly Lion ran that 
way, and still they could not find the missing 
glasses. 

I really suppose they would have been look¬ 
ing yet if they had not heard a gentle, velvety 
footstep outside, and pulling aside the cur¬ 
tain, they saw a remarkable sight. 

There stood a large Black Cat on his head! 

“I don’t know what to do about my 
glasses,” said the great, great, great grand¬ 
father. 

He could not see the newcomer outside. 

The Pixie said, 

How shall I get to school on time? 

Sir-Up-Side-Down complete my rhyme. 

The Friendly Lion sat with his nose pressed 
against the window-pane. 

I’ll help you make up your mind, said the Cat; 

I’m rather an expert fellow at that. 

Then he walked into the house on his head 
and found the great, great, great grand- 
[45l 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


father’s glasses in the corner of the room, and 
said to the Pixie, 

Why don’t you wear your magic shoes ? 

You could be early if you choose! 

“Ha, ha, ha!” laughed the Pixie. 

He had forgotten all about his little red, 
magic shoes. 

When he put them on he could walk a mile 
a minute. 

The Cat remarked, 

Your faithful companion I will be; 

In invisible cloak you can’t see me. 

Then the Cat drew on a cloak and they 
could not tell w T hether he was still there or 
not. 

The great, great, great grandfather said, 
speaking of the Cat standing on his head, 

That Cat has a look that’s very wise; 

Perhaps he does it for exercise. 

They all talked until noon. Then the Pixie 
put on his magic shoes and started to school. 

The Cat stayed at home to warm his paws 
by the fire. 


[46] 


























































































































































































THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The Pixie got to school that noon half an 
hour ahead of time, and the teacher was just 
saying, “I don’t know how to make the chil¬ 
dren learn to spell,” as the Pixie peeped in 
the door. 

He said, 

The Pixie is jolly as can be; 

Why not leave the lesson to me? 

The teacher was surprised you may be sure. 

She said, “Are you a new scholar?” 

The Pixie answered, 

I am a fairy as a rule. 

But I like to go to school. 

Then he stood before the list of spelling 
words on the board. He whistled softly, for 
he saw such words as “strawberry, blackberry, 
huckleberry,” and so on. 

He danced about singing, 

Little teacher, if I may ask it, 

I will teach this lesson with a basket. 

The teacher very willingly gave him a bas- 
[ 47 ] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


ket and the Pixie crept back of the organ as 
the children came trooping in to school. 

Late in the afternoon, when the spelling 
lesson was announced, the Pixie came out of 
his hiding place, and ran up and down the 
aisles with his basket, singing, 

Come little basket, with blackberries fill. 

And then we will spell your name with a will. 

The basket filled with blackberries, and as 
soon as a child spelled the word correctly the 
Pixie popped a blackberry into his mouth. 

Next, he cried, 

Come little basket, with strawberries fill, 

And then we will spell your name with a will. 

Then the basket filled with strawberries and 
every child was eager to spell the word, and 
receive a nice, ripe, red strawberry. 

The children cried, “Oh!” and “Ah!” and 
“We never had so much fun in school in all 
our lives! ” 

Jack and Jill said, “That is a fine way to 
learn a spelling lesson.” 

[48] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The teacher smiled and the Pixie had a good 
time too. 

He sang, 

Hard or easy, as you make it; 

Just depends on how you take it. 

All would have gone well I am sure if one 
child had not said, 

It’s hard to learn the table nine, 

Nine times eleven, and seven times nine. 

The Pixie jumped right out the open win¬ 
dow and ran in his magic boots a mile a 
minute, and never stopped to look around 
until he came to his own little house by the 
sea. 

The Pixie never did like number nine! 

“That sounds like the Pixie’s footsteps,” 
said the Friendly Lion. 

“That looks like the Pixie’s cap,” said the 
great, great, great grandfather peering over 
his spectacles. 

The large Black Cat said nothing, but stood 
gleefully on his head! 

[49] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The Pixie came in and sat on a stool by the 
fire, saying, 

To go to school is very fine, 

But I can’t stand the number nine; 

I don’t want to be a Fool’s-Cap Fool; 

How can I ever visit school? 

The large Black Cat opened his mouth but 
said nothing for one hour and sixteen minutes, 
then he said, 

In your little wee house beside the sea, 

Open a school for you and me. 

“Do you mean it?” asked the Pixie. 

“ Do you mean it? ” asked the great, great, 
great grandfather. 

“Do you mean it?” asked the Friendly 
Lion. 

Then they all began to talk at once, and 
suggested that they would build a little wee 
schoolhouse by the sea. 

They could build it of sea-shells of course. 

The Pixie laughed and said, 

The plan to me has a pleasant sound, 

For children leave their toys around, 

And many useful things are found, 

In attics high above the ground. 

[ 50] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


“He is thinking of Jack’s neckties,” said 
the great, great, great grandfather with a 
chuckle. 

“He is thinking of using Jill’s hair-ribbons 
for decorations in the new school,” said the 
Friendly Lion. 

The Cat said wisely, 

We could study the ships upon the seas. 

And stay at home and take our ease. 

They decided to build the new school, start¬ 
ing next day. 

The Pixie took two baskets and filled them 
with ripe, red strawberries. He put on his 
magic shoes and whisk! bound! he was off in 
the twinkling of an eye. 

He went to the house where Jack and Jill 
lived and tapped softly on the window-pane. 

Jack said, “Has the Pixie come again?” 

Jill said, “ I hear a tapping on the window- 
pane.” 

They were so sleepy they did not get up to 
look out. 

Next morning, they found two little baskets 
on the window-sill. 

They were filled with ripe, red strawberries. 

[51] 



CHAPTER VI 
in mary’s room 

Oh, I am so happy and full of glee. 

I’ll open a school beside the sea, 

S ANG the Pixie. 

“What kind of a school will it be? 
Will it be a Sunday School?” asked the great, 
great, great grandfather. 

“Will it be a Cooking School?” asked the 
Friendly Lion. 

“Will it be a Sewing School?” asked the 
Cat. 

The Pixie danced to and fro and said. 

The day is sunny, bright and cool; 

’Twill be a Patriotic School. 

“A Patriotic School,” they all cried together 
and the Pixie said, 

In this schoolhouse, it is true, 

We’ll wave a flag red, white, and blue. 

[ 52 1 


THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


“Red, white, and blue, for decorations,” 
said the great, great, great grandfather. 

“Red, white, and blue lessons, such as flags 
and shields,” said the Friendly Lion. 

The Pixie said, 

I want to visit school today; 

In which room had I better stay? 

I’ll help you make up your mind, said the Cat; 

I’m rather an expert fellow at that. 

The Pixie whispered in the Cat’s ear and he 
replied, 

If I were a Pixie or any fairy, 

I would visit Little Mary. 

The Pixie put on his little, red, magic shoes 
and took his dinner basket and went off 
singing merrily, 

I’ll never be a Fool’s-Cap Fool; 

I’ll learn some lessons now in school. 

All this time the Sea-Shell Fairies were 
building a wonderful school for the Pixie near 
his little wee house by the sea. 

They put flags in the school, they put up 
banners red, white, and blue. 

[ 53 1 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Little Mary was surprised at recess to hear 
a fairy voice call, 

I’m not quite used to keys and locks; 

Open up your pencil-box! 

She said under her breath, “The Pixie has 
come to school, he is in my pencil-box.” 

She opened the pencil-box and the Pixie 
jumped out and came and sat on the inkwell. 

He said, 

You are thoughtful as a rule; 

’Tis Little New-Shoes’s first day in school. 

Little Mary looked across the aisle, there 
sure enough sat a new little girl, with new 
shoes on. 

She was very shy. 

She did not know what to do. 

Little Mary slipped over and showed her 
how to copy work from the board. 

The Pixie whispered, 

Perhaps a pencil you would lend, 

For every stranger needs a friend. 

Little Mary gave the child a new red pencil, 
and she smiled happily. 

[ 54 ] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


When the writing lesson came, the Pixie 
hopped all about from desk to desk, calling to 
the children, 

Cross your “ T’s ” and dot your “ I’s,” 

No one does well unless he tries. 

The children were amused you may be sure. 

When the children began to read, the teacher 
showed them a picture of a Chinese Boy, and 
to the surprise of all, he stepped right out of 
the picture frame, made a low bow and said, 
waving his pigtail, 

I am very glad I came; 

Don’t you want to know my name? 

He danced and capered about, and said he 
had four names. He said, “Mother gives me 
my first name, and I get another name when 
I go to school, I receive still another name 
when I finish school, and my very best friends 

call me by another name!” 

Without telling a single one of his names 
the Chinese Boy stepped back over the picture 
frame. 


[55l 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Oh! ’ and “Ah!” cried the children, “he 
is only a picture after all! ” 

Why did you step over the picture frame? 

Why not stay out, when once you came? 

asked the Pixie, and the Chinese Boy said, 
“Hai-long,” which means “for fun,” and not 
another word would he say! 

The next lesson was on birds, and the Pixie 
whistled and imitated the bird-calls, singing, 

Brother Red-Breast, Little Boy Blue, 

We will look out the window for you. 

A Robin and Blue-Bird appeared on the 
window-sill. 

The Pixie called again, 

Yellow Jacket and Chickadee, 

Come up, where we all can see. 

An Oriole, and Chickadee, hopped up on the 
window-sill, and the teacher said as it was 
noon, the children could feed the birds crumbs, 
left from their lunch. 

They gladly gave them crumbs. 

[56] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


While the children ate their lunch the Pixie 
whispered to Mary, 

Let’s have the children close their eyes, 

And I will give them a fine surprise. 

They all closed their eyes and four-and- 
twenty little flowerpots sailed down on their 
four-and-twenty little desks, and the children 
planted a seed in each one. 

The children watched a little green sprout 
shoot up and two little green leaves opened, 
then came a bud and flower! 

They clapped their hands with delight and 
said, “We wish the Pixie would visit school 
every day.” 

The Pixie whispered to the flowers, 

Little geraniums, do you hear, 

Keep on blooming all the year. 

When school was over, the Pixie said to 
Little Mary, 

You may have fun now, if you choose; 

Put on one of my magic shoes! 

She said, “My foot is too large to wear one 
of your magic shoes,” but as she tried to put it 
t 57 3 



the pixie in school 


on, to her surprise the magic shoe grew larger 
and she put her foot into it. 

The Pixie said, 

We travel faster than good news, 

When we put on magic shoes. 

Sure enough they went so fast, in less time 
than it takes to tell it, they were at the Pixie’s 
school. 

It was all finished, and on the door they 
read, 


The room is very large and wide; 

Open the door and step inside. 

Inside sat the great, great, great grand¬ 
father hard at work. He was cutting out 
wooden figures, giving them cut-out voices. 

The Friendly Lion was dusting off the new 
desks with his tail, while the Cat stood on his 
head. 

The Pixie and Mary stood in the doorwav, 
and the Pixie said, 

I hope Jack and Jill will understand; 

I invite them to go to Music Land. 

[ 58 ] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


“Oh, oh!” cried Little Mary. “We would 
all much rather visit you in this little wee 
schoolhouse, than to go to Music Land.” 

The Pixie turned a backward somersault 
and said, 

In my school, you understand, 

One door leads into Music Land. 

Sure enough, there was one door that led 
into Music Land, and one door that led into 
a Cooking School. 

The Sea-Shell Fairies capered about and 
offered to take Little Mary home, but the 
Friendly Lion lashed his tail saying, 

Of willing steed you have no lack; 

Come, take a ride upon my back. 

Little Mary and the Pixie rode home on the 
back of the Friendly Lion and the Pixie said, 

Better scamper right off to bed, 

Hard Times might follow you, ’tis said. 

Little Mary went to bed, and Jack called, 
“Where have you been so long 4 ?” 

Jill said, “Did you see the Pixie 1 ?” 

[ 59 ] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Little Mary was so tired she fell asleep 
without answering. 

In the morning when Jack and Jill came 
into her room they spied the red, magic shoe, 
and cried, “Ho, Ho, the Pixie has been here! ” 

At that very minute, in floated three white 
envelopes through the window. They were ad¬ 
dressed to Jack and Jill and Mary, and each 
envelope had the same message in it. 

The Pixie gives invitation hearty, 

To his little schoolroom party. 

Come tomorrow or yesterday; 

’Tis all the same, the fairies say. 

Then the children cried, “We cannot go yes¬ 
terday, but we can go tomorrow.” 

The Little Mother said, “You can go to¬ 
morrow if Fred will go with you.” 

Fred said, “We will set our alarm clock so 
that Little Behind-Hand will not make us 
late.” 

“What about Hard Times?” whispered 
Jack and Jill. 

Little Mary said, 

We are so merry we never cry; 

Hard Times will surely pass us by. 

[60] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Jack and Jill looked hard at Little Mary 
and said, “Now we know you have been with 
the Pixie, because you talk in rhyme! ” 


[61] 



CHAPTER VII 

IN MUSIC LAND 


“ W AKE UP '' UP '' WakC U P ! ” Cried 

* * Jack and Jill and Little Mary, “we 
must go to the Pixie’s school today.” 

I don t half believe in the Pixie,” cried 
Fred peeping in the door. 

Then Little Behind-Hand sang. 

Be a little careful, Fred; 

Better take back what you said. 


Now, Fred was so afraid he would be late 
with everything again that day, that he an- 
swered, 

Pixie is a merry elf; 

He dances on our pantry shelf! 

Oh, oh. cried Jack and Jill, <c has the 
Pixie been in the pantry? Have you seen the 
tracks of his little feet?” 

Just then the Little Mother called the chil- 

[62] 


THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


dren to help Aunt Rachel, the colored mammy, 
hang out clothes. 

She said they must help with the work a 
little before they went to the Pixie’s school. 

They all ran out and took some clothespins 
and began to hang up clothes on the line. 

Fred hung up the large pieces, and Jack and 
Jill hung up the middle-sized pieces, and 
Little Mary hung up the handkerchiefs. 

Some of the clothespins acted in the most 
peculiar manner. They hopped off the lines 
and fell into the children’s pockets. 

“My clothespin has a face on it,” said Jack. 

“My clothespin has a face too,” said Jill. 

Then the most surprising thing happened! 

All the clothespins on the line let the clothes 
down and began to dance and sing, 

On the line we will not stay; 

We will travel far away! 

“ They must be magic clothespins,” said 
Fred. “Where did they come from?” 

Just then a little wee head peeped out of 
the clothes basket, and two little, red shoes 
peeped out, and a wee voice called, 

[63] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


They don’t act this way as a rule ; 

They want to go to the Pixie’s school! 

Fred said, “I will run to the store and get 
some ordinary clothespins.” 

He did so, and the children picked the 
clothes up from the fresh green grass, and this 
time, pinned them on the line to stay. 

The magic clothespins said, 

We do not very often shirk, 

But some of us grow tired of work. 

Then they followed the Pixie straight and 
stiff like a line of soldiers, “right foot! left 
foot!” all the way. 

The children followed on behind, and they 
had a most exciting walk for every few minutes 
the Pixie was missing. 

Sometimes he hid a few minutes in a hollow 
tree, sometimes he hid in a rabbit hole, but 
wherever he was, the children could always 
hear him sing merrily, 

Who’s so merry as the Pixie 
At the dawn of day? 

Who’s so merry as the Pixie 
In his work and play ? 

[64] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


By and by they came to the Pixie’s little wee 
schoolhouse, and Fred said, “I feel as though 
I were shrinking! ” 

Jack and Jill and Mary said, “Perhaps we 
are growing smaller so we can get in the Pixie’s 
little schoolroom door.” 

Soon the children were small enough to go 
into that cunning little school, but the Pixie 
was nowhere to be seen. 

“How shall we find the Pixie?” they said, 
and a silvery voice answered, 

Ask the bell upon the table; 

Ring it softly if you’re able. 

They tapped the bell and it replied, 

Better ask the schoolroom clock 
Where the Pixie is, tick-tock. 

The clock ticked loudly at that, and replied, 

The wastebasket’s large and wide; 

’Tis a pleasant place in which to hide. 

They asked the wastebasket about the Pixie 
and it replied, 

The Pixie sometimes takes a nap 
Right behind the schoolroom map. 

[65] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Then the Pixie jumped right out from be¬ 
hind the map and said merrily, 

I hope you all can understand 
This is the door to Music Land! 

He led the way through a little door, and 
the children followed. 

My! what a busy place they were in! 

Little black notes were hurrying to and fro, 
and Father Time was counting loudly. 

The Sharps were talking in shrill voices 
while the Flats could hardly be heard. 

The Naturals said, 

Be natural now and very soon 
You will hear a pretty tune. 

cfken the most surprising thing happened! 

Little Mary did the most natural thing in 
the world. 

She sat down in a chair, and the chair began 
to play a tune. 

One after another the children sat down and 
all the chairs played a pretty tune. 

The Pixie said, 

There’s nothing nicer, I declare, 

Than a pretty, little, musical chair. 

[ 66 ] 






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THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The Rests sat around the room nodding 
silently. 

The Treble Clef hurried the notes into their 
proper places upon the Staff, and they all 
shouted their names as fast as they could, and 
soon were singing a merry tune. 

The Pixie said to the children, 

Come now, I’ll lead you by the hand; 

We’ll go away from Music Land. 

Then the Holds looked very black and 
fierce, and they blocked up the doorway say¬ 
ing, “People always stop for us.” 

I don’t know what in the world they would 
have done then, if the Cat had not come in 
and begun to dance on his head. 

The Holds were so surprised that they let 
the children pass. 

The Pixie said, 

The Holds never did so before; 

They act as though they’d been to war. 

“That was a fine way to learn music when 
all the notes sang,” said Jack. 

“That was a fine way to listen to music, to 
sit in a musical chair,” said Jill. 

[67] 



THE PTXIE IN_ SCJWOL 

The children went out of the Pixie school 
and in two minutes they had grown too large 
to go in again. 

As the Pixie was nowhere to be seen, they 
ran homeward and had fun telling the Little 
Mother about the Pixie school. 

That night when they were falling asleep, 
Jack said, “What is that*?” and Jill answered, 
“What is that?” 

Little Mary raised up on her elbow and said, 
“Someone is playing a fiddle!” 

They all got up and ran to the window-sill. 

There stood the Pixie and the great Black 
Cat! 

The Cat was playing a fiddle! 

“He must have learned that in Music 
Land,” said Little Mary. 

The children fell asleep while the Pixie was 
dancing on the window-sill and the Cat play¬ 
ing the fiddle. 


[68] 



CHAPTER VIII 


THE COOKING SCHOOL 

HE next Saturday Jack said, “I wonder 



what the Pixie is doing in school to¬ 
day?” 

Jill said, “I wish we could visit his funny 
little school again.” 

Little Mary did not hear where the children 
wanted to go, but she cried, “Let me go too! 
let me go too! ” 

Fred said, 


We have to say the Pixie is true, 
If fairy things we want to do. 


“Hurrah! hurrah!” cried the children, 
“Fred does begin to believe in the Pixie after 


all.” 


As they sat at the breakfast table, chatting 
merrily, “rap-a-tap,” was heard on the win¬ 
dow-pane. 


[69] 


THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


There stood the Pixie singing. 

Nobody else said “April Fool,” 

Please come to my Cooking School! 

Then he vanished with a toss of his little 
red cap and the children said, “Sure enough, 
it is the first of April and we all forgot it was 
April Fool’s Day. We wonder if the Pixie is 
fooling us! ” 

The Little Mother said they might visit the 
Pixie’s school anyway, so they started off with 
a hop, a skip, and a bound. 

Soon they reached the Pixie’s school. 

As he was nowhere to be seen, Jack said, 

We wish we were small as once before, 

Then we could enter the little door. 

They did not know that they were standing 
on the Wishing Stone, and in the twinkling of 
an eye they all grew small enough to enter the 
little door. 

The tiny school bell began to ring, and the 
Pixie who sat at the teacher’s desk cried, 

Clean the erasers, clean the board; 

Many helpers I can’t afford. 

[ 70] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Jack and Jill and Mary and Fred, each took 
an eraser and began to clean the board, when to 
their surprise, the erasers jumped out of their 
hands, and cleaned the blackboard and then 
cleaned themselves by playing “ pat-a-cake,” 
with each other. 

Then the Pixie cried, 

Though I am joking as a rule, 

Come into my Cooking School. 

They followed the Pixie into the Cooking 
School, and there stood the Black Cat on his 
head, while the Friendly Lion paced to and fro 
crying, 

Don’t use a rule or recipe 
If a Pixie cook you’d be! 

“Oh!” and “Ah!” cried Jack and Jill, 
“what a queer Cooking School!” 

The greatest surprise was yet to come! 

A neat blue bowl jumped up on the table, 
and a rolling-board and rolling-pin beside it. 

Then a spoon jumped into the bowl and a 
sugary voice cried, 

Don’t leave sugar out; ’twould be a mistake 
If very good doughnuts you’d like to make! 

[ 7 1 1 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Then a floury voice cried, 

Use the flour, don’t mistake it, 

Pretty stiff you’d better make it! 

Then a milky voice cried, 

I’m very useful, it would seem, 

Though skim-milk masquerades as cream! 

Other things jumped into the bowl, but it 
was Baking Powder who called to the spoon, 

Come, stir me faster, stir me faster; 

I’m Baking Powder; I’m the master! 

By and by the doughnuts were ready to roll 
out, they jumped out on the rolling-board in a 
heap, and the rolling-pin began to roll them 
out saying, 

To and fro, to and fro, 

Roll the doughnuts roughly — so. 

“Smoothly, you mean,” cried Jill. “You 
mean roll them smoothly.” 

The rolling-pin paid no attention to Jill’s 
remark, and soon two cutters jumped down, 
and cut out the doughnuts. 

[ 72] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


They were all shaped like girls and boys. 

The currants jumped out of the box and 
made eyes, and mouth, and nose, upon them. 

Little Mary said, “They look like real little 
girls and boys. 5 ’ 

Then the doughnut children jumped into a 
pot before their very eyes, and the pot jumped 
onto the stove. 

The Friendly Lion lashed his tail and re¬ 
marked, 

They’ll cook fast beyond a doubt, 

Because, you see, the fire is OUT! 

The Cat’s eyes grew as big as saucers, but 
Fred said, “I will make a fire,” and he ran 
out and got paper and kindling and wood, and 
soon he had the fire burning merrily. 

The Pixie said, 

When you want a fire to burn, 

Close all the dampers now in turn! 

Fred knew it was April Fool’s Day, and that 
the Pixie was joking, so he left the dampers 
open, to start the fire, and soon they heard, 
“rap-a-tap,” on the sides of the big iron kettle, 
in which the doughnut children were cooking. 

[73l 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


No one seemed to know what to do. 

I will help you make up your mind, said the Cat; 

I’m rather an expert fellow at that. 

So, saying, he took a large, long-handled 
spoon, and began to stir the doughnut girls 
and boys. 

It was difficult, for every once in a while he 
stood on his head! 

Then voices from the kettle cried, 

Let us out; without a doubt, 

We’re warm when jumping round about! 

Then the Cat lifted the doughnuts out and 
put them on a paper to cool. 

One little doughnut girl danced up to Jack, 
and one little doughnut girl danced up to Jill, 
saying, 

Nibble a bit at our fingers and toes; 

’Twill be a pleasure to you, we suppose. 

Little Mary said, “Oh, oh, oh, they want 
to be eaten! ” 

Then Fred ate the arm off a doughnut boy, 
and Jack ate the leg off a doughnut girl. 

[ 74 ] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


All the doughnut children cried, 

Come, eat us faster, if you please; 

We were made for things like these. 

Now, will you believe it, with the help of 
the Cat and the Friendly Lion they soon had 
eaten all the doughnut children! 

The children said as they started out of the 
Pixie school, “We learned some fine cooking 
lessons.” 

The Pixie said, 

Don’t try these lessons out of school; 

These rules belong to April Fool! 

“Oh, oh!” cried the children, “they were 
nonsense cooking lessons, after all!” 

Just then Hard Times came by and made 
the children forget to step on the Wishing 
Stone going out. 

They started home very tiny little people. 

The children they met, looked to them like 
giants! 

Fred said, “ Oh we forgot to grow the proper 
size.” 

Jack said, “ What shall we do? ” 
t 751 



the pixie in school 


Hard Times tugged at his coat and said, 

Why don’t you stay little, as Pixies do ? 

’Twould be an experience rather new! 

The children met a rabbit, and he appeared 
so large that they crept into a hole in a hollow 
tree! 

I am afraid they would never have gotten 
home, if the Pixie had not come by at that very 
minute shouting, 

Pixie can wish, whenever he tries, 

Come out of the tree the proper size! 

“Oh,” cried the children, “we are glad to 
be the right size again.” 

The Pixie nodded his head and tossed his 
cap singing, 

A Pixie knows no bounds or rules, 

But plays some tricks on April Fool’s. 

They looked about but he was no longer to 
be seen. 

At dinner that night, when Aunt Rachel 
brought in the doughnuts, the children set up a 
shout, “There are our doughnut children, 
there are the doughnut boy and girl! ” 

[76] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The children asked her how she happened to 
shape them like girls and boys. 

She nodded her head until the bright, fiery 
bandanna waved and answered, “ I reckon the 
Pixie knows.” 


C 77 1 



CHAPTER IX 


THE PIXIE’S STORE 

NE day the great, great, great grandfather 
said to the Pixie, 

You were never so lazy, quite, before; 

Why don’t you open a little store ? 

The Pixie stretched out his toes with the 
little slippers upon them and said, 

What kind of a store do you suggest? 

Or did you only speak in jest? 

The great, great, great grandfather an¬ 
swered seriously, 

I’d open a store as soon as I could, 

For every animal in the wood! 

At the mention of the word, “ animal,” the 
Friendly Lion got up and lashed his tail, and 
the Black Cat stood on his head. 

In less time than it takes to tell it, the Pixie 
called five-and-twenty Pixies to help him, and 
[78] 


THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


all the Sea-Fairies worked with a will, and 
they soon had a store, with a little wee sign, 
that hung outside, “The Pixie’s Store.” 

The Pixie said, 

When the animals come to trade. 

They’ll be too large, I am afraid. 

The great, great, great grandfather said, 

Bring the Wishing Stone from o’er the hill; 

They’ll grow as little as Jack and Jill. 

They brought the Wishing Stone and put it 
in front of the store, so, as every animal came, 
and wished to step inside he became the proper 
size. 

The Pixie said, 

I hope Jack and Jill will come to trade; 

They’ve not heard of my store, I am afraid. 

“We hope Mary will come,” said the 
Friendly Lion. 

“And Fred, too,” said the Cat. 

At that very minute, someone was coming, 
hoppety-skippety, up the path, and someone 
stood on the Wishing Stone and said, “I wish 
I was small enough to go inside.” 

[ 79 ] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Then, in bounced Old Man Tiny-Tail, the 
rabbit. 

He felt in his right-hand coat pocket, and 
he felt in his left-hand coat pocket, and said, 
“By my fur and whiskers, I’ve lost some¬ 
thing! ” 

By the way he talked, you would know he 
was a rabbit, if you looked at him, with your 
eyes shut! 

“Did you lose your glasses?” asked the 
Pixie. 

“Did you lose your traveling-bag?” asked 
the great, great, great grandfather. 

“Did you lose your watch?” asked the 
Friendly Lion. 

“Did you lose your overcoat?” asked the 
Cat. 

Old Man Tiny-Tail said, in a whisper, “I 
lost my pocketbook! and I came to buy sugar 
and coffee and tea and forty-nine cabbages! ” 

At this very minute, “rap-a-tap” was heard 
on the door, and in walked Old Man Never- 
Tire. 

You could tell by the way he sniffed, 
that he was no ordinary animal and that 
[&>] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


he was a camel looking for a sand storm in a 
desert. 

He said, “I want to buy a new red blanket, 
but I forgot something/’ 

“Did you forget your pocketbook?” asked 
the Pixie. 

“Did you forget your handkerchief?” 
asked the great, great, great grandfather. 

The Friendly Lion had no time to ask ques¬ 
tions, for Old Man Never-Tire said, “I forgot 
my drink of water, and if I do not have water 
once a month, I can do no trading!” 

At this very minute, “rap-a-tap,” was heard 
on the door and Old Man Hug-Me-Tight 
came in. 

You could tell he was a bear by the way he 
went about hugging everybody in sight! 

He said, “I want to buy the biggest pot of 
honey you have, I want two, four, seven, nine 
pots of honey! ” 

The Pixie said, 

In this little store of mine 
You can never purchase ninel 

Old Man Hug-Me-Tight said, 

[ Si ] 


“I am 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


afraid I cannot buy the honey after all, I for¬ 
got something.” 

Just as they were going to ask what he for¬ 
got, Old Man Never-Speak peered in the 
window. 

You knew at once that he was a giraffe on 
account of his long neck. 

Old Man Touch-Me-Not came bounding in. 

You knew he was a porcupine as soon as 
you saw his bristles standing out! 

He said, “I want a barrel of apples and a 
barrel of sugar and a barrel of pepper.” 

At the mention of so much pepper they all 
began to sneeze, and for all I know they would 
have been sneezing yet, if Jack and Jill had 
not appeared at that very minute and called, 

Open each window, open each door; 

We never smelled so much pepper before. 

There really was pepper in the store! 

Old Man Sly-Fox had poured some down 
the chimney as a joke! 

They all came tumbling out of the store 
sneezing, “a-kit-chew, a-kit-chew!” 

My! how they sneezed! 

[82] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Old Man Sly-Fox thought they said, “I 
catch you/’ 

He ran off as fast as his legs could carry him. 

Old Man Little-Tail said, 

I wonder if someone will help me look; 

’Tis sad to lose a pocketbook! 

Jack and Jill said they would all go and 
look for the lost pocketbook, so they formed a 
little procession and went through the woods 
together. 

Will you believe it, they searched all day 
when suddenly Old Man Little-Tail stood 
still. 

He stood stock-still in the woods saying, 

We had better stop a minute; 

There was not a penny in it! 

Then the animals set up a shout and the 
Pixie turned a backward somersault, and Jack 
and Jill laughed until they cried, for after all, 
what was the use in looking for an empty 
pocketbook ? 

By and by Jack and Jill went back with the 
Pixie to his little store, and the great, great, 
[83] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


great grandfather said, “ It would have been a 
fine day for trade if the animals had not lost 
something, or forgotten something!” 

The Pixie said, 

Come, help me now hang up a sign; 

I’ll not make change with number nine! 

To make the Pixie forget about number 
nine. Jack said, “Have you any flags for 
sale?” 

The Pixie replied, 

Jack and Jill, I don’t know whether 
You like flags that tell of weather. 

Then, the most astonishing thing happened! 

Suddenly, quite unexpectedly, and without 
any warning the fair-weather flag, dressed in 
white, came tumbling down from the shelf. 

It made a bow and said, 

Jack and Jill, you didn’t say whether 
You liked fair or stormy weather. 

Then the rainy-day flag, wearing a blue 
dress, followed suit and said, 

Call for the weather, speak again; 

Do you like sun ? Do you like rain ? 

[84] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The local rain flag, dressed in blue and 
white, tumbled off the shelf and said, 

My coming now, I will explain; 

I bring local snow or rain. 

My! how the rain fell! 

It fell through the cracks in the roof. 

“ Put him out, put him out, we will drown! ” 
said the great, great, great grandfather! 

No sooner had they done so, than the tri¬ 
angular flag floated down from the shelf sing¬ 
ing, 

In my black coat I look demure; 

I only record temperature. 

Then the cold-wave flag, wearing a black 
and white coat, floated in the open window, 
singing, 

The invitation I think you gave; 

I come, and bring you a big, cold wave. 

They all asked each other what they should 
do for they felt they were growing colder every 
minute. 

I’ll help you make up your mind, said the Cat; 

I’m rather an expert fellow at that. 

[85] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


So saying, the Cat closed the window and 
hung the cold-weather flag outside! 

Jack and Jill said, “We never saw such 
funny flags in all our lives, we wish we could 
buy them; we wish we had brought some pen¬ 
nies with us.” 

Just then, Old Man Never-Tire appeared 
at the window and said, 

Old Man Tiny-Tail’s pocketbook is found; 

It was lying safely upon the ground. 

“Perhaps it was in Lucy Locket’s lost 
pocket,” said Jack. Jill said, “I wonder who 
found it.” 

The Pixie said, 

Ha, ha! trouble I never borrow; 

Perhaps I’ll have customers tomorrow. 

The Friendly Lion was thinking of Old 
Man Tiny-Tail’s pocketbook when he re¬ 
marked, 

Better be cautious for a minute; 

Remember, there were no pennies in it. 

The Pixie laughed, and Jack and Jill ran 
merrily homeward. 


[86] 



CHAPTER X 


FLAG DAY IN SCHOOL 

day the Pixie said, 

Over the hills and far away, 

I’ll visit the children in school today. 

He put on his little red, magic shoes and 
was starting merrily off, when the great, great, 
great grandfather shouted, “Come back, come 
back and tie my necktie! ” 

The Pixie came back with a hop and a skip 
and a bound, and tied the great, great, great 
grandfather’s necktie. 

He said. 

Your funny beard has grown so long, 

It should be spoken of in song. 

Then the great, great, great grandfather 
danced, and his funny beard whirled round 
and round and round. 

“Will he never stop?” asked the Friendly 
Lion. 


[87] 


THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


“Will he lose his breath?” asked the Cat, 
whose eyes grew as big as pop-corn balls. 

By and by the great, great, great grandfather 
stopped and sat down in his rocking-chair. 

He knew when he had danced long enough, 
and it was time to stop, so he said, 

I’m wiser now than it appears. 

Though I did sleep one hundred years. 

The Pixie started again to school, and was 
nearly out of sight when the Friendly Lion 
said, 


Come back and tell me, if you’re able, 

What I shall put on the dinner table. 

The Pixie doubled right over with laughter 
and said, 


Apple tarts, with spice 
And everything nice. 

He said to himself that now he was surely 
off, but before he had taken two more strides 
with his magic shoes, the Black Cat called, 
“Come back, please, I cannot find the salt- 
bag.” 


[88] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Will you believe it, they all searched one 
hour and sixteen minutes for the salt-bag, and 
found at last that there was no salt in the 
house! Nothing would be very good cooked 
without salt they thought. 

The Pixie said he would try to bring some 
salt on the way home, and he started off again 
with a hop and a skip and a bound, and soon 
reached the school that Jack and Jill and Little 
Mary attended. 

The schoolroom was beautiful that day. 

It was beautiful with many flags. 

Red, white, and blue paper chains hung at 
the windows. 

Red, white, and blue paper lanterns were 
strung across the room. 

Each child had a flowerpot on his desk filled 
with sand. There was a flag in each flower¬ 
pot. 

The Pixie wondered why everything in that 
room was red, white, and blue. 

He said, 

I’ll find out pretty soon, 

For Flag Day always comes in June. 

The Pixie was fond of flags. 

[89] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The children began to sing about flags, and 
the Pixie found out it was June fourteenth, 
and they were keeping Flag Day. 

He peeped out from behind the clock where 
he was hiding, and one little boy shook his 
finger at him! 

The Pixie did not want to be seen that day 
by the other children, he was looking for Jack 
and Jill. 

He crept round and jumped in beside the 
pendulum. 

The clock door went “ click.” 

There was the Pixie caught inside the clock! 

He said, 

If I could have but just one wish, 

I’d like to get out of this kettle of fish. 

He heard the children singing and reciting. 

Would no one let him out? 

He played with the hands of the clock, but 
no one seemed to notice, and the children went * 
home from school. 

The teacher left the room too, and the Pixie 
said, 

This lock I do not understand; 

Will no one come and lend a hand? 

[90] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Then a little mouse ran up the clock and let 
the Pixie out. 

He was so glad to get out he ran away from 
the schoolroom as fast as his magic shoes would 
carry him. 

He was going to find Jack and Jill. 

He wondered why they were not in school. 

He ran to their home and peeped in the 
window. 

There sat Jack and Jill in their little red 
rocking-chairs, and they were crying softly into 
their little blue pocket handkerchiefs. 

The Pixie sang, 

Before the gold-fish bowl you fill, 

See the Pixie on the window-sill. 


The children ran to the window to let the 
Pixie in. 

He was waving a silk flag, and he sang, 

Mysterious things HI tell you soon, 

For Flag Day’s the fourteenth day of June. 

Jack and Jill said, “That is what we were 
crying about, for we could not go to school, 
and we each had a piece to speak. 

[91] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The Pixie waved his flag, and the forty-eight 
stars in it twinkled and began to talk saying, 
“ This flag is one hundred and forty-two years 
old.” 

“Nearly as old as the great, great, great 
grandfather,” whispered Jack and Jill. 

The flag said, 

Every star is for a state; 

I float o’er a nation wise and great. 

The flag continued, 

Thirteen stripes and forty-eight stars 
Float high above in this flag of ours. 

“Make way for the infantry,” cried the 
Pixie, and a little procession of soldiers passed 
by under the flag. They waved a blue-silk 
flag. 

“Make way for the artillery,” cried the 
Pixie, and a little procession of soldiers went 
by, under the flag, waving a red flag. 

“ Make way for the cavalry,” cried the Pixie, 
and a little procession of soldiers went by, 
waving a yellow flag. 

My! it was a wonderful sight! 

[92] 













































































































4 















■A 














































. 







THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The red, white, and blue flag cried, 

Regimental colors, see, 

Always wave for you and me. 

Jack and Jill cried, “Hurrah for the flag! 
Hurrah for the regiments!” 

The regiments vanished as silently as they 
had come. 

The flag was nowhere to be seen. 

Jack and Jill took out their little blue 
pocket handkerchiefs again, but the Pixie 
called, looking at Jack, 

Do not cry; I tell you true, Sir; 

Tis a foolish thing to do, Sir! 

They looked all about the room for the 
Pixie, for they knew he was hiding somewhere. 

He said, 

I’ll sing a patriotic tune, 

For Flag Day comes each year in June. 

Then the Pixie danced on the window-sill. 

He had two flags. He was using wigwag 
signals. 

In the window floated a little flag, and fas¬ 
tened itself into Jack’s buttonhole. 

1 93 1 



THE PIXIE IN_ SCJiOOL 

In floated another flag and fastened itself 
into Jill’s buttonhole. 

Little Mary came in just then, and in floated 
a flag for her. 

The Pixie said, 

I’m glad all children like Old Glory, 

It is somebody’s turn to tell a story, 

Under the light of the silver moon, 

Once a year, in the month of June. 

“May we come to hear the story?” asked 
Jack. 

“Will the story be about flags?” asked Jill. 

Little Mary said, “I wish it would be a 
Christmas story.” 

The Pixie nodded his head, and the little 
tassel on his cap danced to and fro. 

He ran off as fast as his little magic shoes 
could carry him. 


[ 94 ] 



CHAPTER XI 


A SURE-ENOUGH MERRY CHRISTMAS 

T HE children sat under a tree in the merry 
month of June, while the great, great, 
great grandfather told a story. 

He said, 

Dear children, though it seems queer, 

I tell this story once every year. 

Jack and Jill drew up closer, and Little 
Mary drew nearer, while Fred peered down 
from the branches overhead, for he sat up in 
the tree. 

The Pixie whistled a merry tune, and the 
great, great, great grandfather said, 

I’m very old, but I remember, 

This story is about December. 

“And Santa Claus,” suggested Jack. 

“And reindeer,” said Jill. 

The great, great, great grandfather settled 
back in his old armchair and wrapped his beard 
[ 95 ] 


THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


round and round and began to tell “A Sure- 
Enough Merry Christmas Story/’ 

“Once upon a time,” Santa Claus said, 

I need helpers, don’t you see, 

To decorate the Christmas tree. 

All the fairies and elves came to help him 
and still he did not have helpers enough. 

He said, as he drove his reindeer through the 
woods, 

Oh, tall and lovely evergreen trees, 

Carry the message on for me, please. 

All the trees in the woodland began to 
whisper. 

We’re willing messengers because 
We all can help old Santa Claus. 

While the trees were whispering away, early 
in December two little children, David and 
Doris went through the woods. 

They said, “ Hark! what are the trees whis¬ 
pering about?” 

“Oh, oh, oh!” they cried, “we all will help 
Old Santa Claus.” 

c then a wonderful thing happened! 

[96] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


A Christmas tree rose right up in their path 
and sang “I will help , 57 and the pop-corn on 
its branches cried, “I will help , 55 and the silver 
star on the top of the tree twinkled. 

The tree vanished as suddenly as it came. 

David and Doris said, “We are so poor, how 
can we help Santa Claus ?” 

If you guessed one hour and twenty-two 
seconds, you never could guess what happened 
next! 

“ Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,” sounded the sleigh 
bells, and a jolly old man was coming nearer 
and nearer every minute. 

He stopped the sleigh when he saw the chil¬ 
dren and cried, 

Creep under my fur robe, warm and wide; 

There is room for you and me beside. 

David and Doris crept under the robe and 
Santa Claus drove on saying, 

I need helpers, one or two, 

Boys and girls just like you. 

Then he told them of a crusty old gentle¬ 
man, who lived in a beautiful house, who did 
not believe in Santa Claus, and he told them 
[ 97 ] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


of two poor old women who had forgotten 
there was a Santa Claus. 

Santa Claus said, “If you will help me, we 
will give them all a surprise.” 

My! what a wonderful ride they had! 

My! how the reindeer pranced! 

My! how the sleigh bells tinkled! 

They went by the home of the old women 
who had forgotten Santa Claus, and they went 
by the home of the crusty old gentleman who 
did not believe in him. 

Then the most surprising thing happened! 

The children woke up, for they had fallen 
asleep in the woods, but they both had dreamed 
about Santa Claus! 

David said, “Though we are very poor, we 
can take something to the poor old women!” 

Doris said, “We are very poor, but we can 
wish the crusty old gentleman a Merry Christ¬ 
mas.” 

David made a basket of raffia, and Doris 
filled it with pop-corn. They made a Christ¬ 
mas card and put it on, and took it to the old 
women on Christmas Eve. The old women 
were pleased you may be sure. 

[98] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Then the children cut a little tree down, 
and decorated it with pop-corn and a silver 
star for the crusty old gentleman. 

David said, “This old man does not be¬ 
lieve in Santa Claus. 5 ’ 

Doris said, “Who will ring the doorbell?” 

While they were talking, the crusty old 
gentleman came to the door, and said, “Why 
bless my soul! see the little, wee children, and 
the great, big Christmas tree! Come in, and 
v/arm yourselves by my fire! ” 

The children went in very shyly, saying, 
“We are Santa Claus helpers and we wish you 
a Merry Christmas.” 

“Merry,” said the old gentleman, “why 
bless my soul, I don’t believe in Santa Claus! ” 

Then there was a thumping, and bumping 
on top of the roof, and a tinkle, tinkle of sleigh 
bells, and whisk! bound! a funny old man in 
fur from top to toe, bounded down the 
chimney! 

He said, 

You’re a lonely old man because 
You do not believe in Santa Claus! 

The crusty old gentleman stared at Santa. 

[ 99 ] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Then Santa Claus danced round the little 
tree and sang, 

Candles large and candles small, 

Shine on the tree to light us all. 

Red, white, and blue candles shone on the 
tree, and Santa Claus danced about and put 
toys upon it. 

He put also a fur coat and cap on it, the 
right size for David, and a red cloth coat and 
cap the right size for Doris. 

Then calling, “Merry Christmas!” he was 
up the chimney, off, and away! 

The crusty old gentleman looked at David’s 
coat. 

It was old and shabby. 

He looked at Doris’ coat. 

It was a size too small. 

He rubbed his eyes and looked at the Christ¬ 
mas tree. 

There were no candles upon it. 

There were no toys or warm wraps! 

Only the pop-corn chains were upon it and 
the star on top twinkled, twinkled! 

“Well, bless my soul,” said the crusty old 
gentleman. “ This must be a night of dreams! ” 

[ ioo ] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


He stepped into the hall and put on his 
great coat and cap. There he met many mem¬ 
ories, so he was a long time coming back to the 
room where he had left the children. 

The memories said, “ Mother believed in 
Santa Claus; your little boy believed in Santa 
Claus; we used to hang up wreaths of holly! ” 

The crusty old gentleman went out with 
Doris on one side and David on the other. 

They left the little tree in the corner. 

He said in a jolly way, 

I’ll borrow two children now because 
They always believe in Santa Claus. 

Then the most surprising things began to 
happen , and the surprises came thick and fast! 

They went down town and the crusty old 
gentleman met so many people with packages 
and so many people bumped into him that he 
said, 

On this night of Christmas Eve, 

There are some things we must believe. 

He bought coats and caps for the children 
and stuffed their pockets full of candy and pea- 
[ ioi ] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


nuts, then he put a doll in Doris’ arms, and 
he gave David a great rocking-horse and he 
bought a pair of skates for both children. 

The children kissed him on both cheeks and 
said, “You are the most wonderful Santa 
Claus in the world! ” 

The crusty old gentleman was so excited he 
kept shouting, “Merry Christmas!” to every 
one he met, and if you had asked him sixteen 
times why he bought a large lamp, he never 
could have told you. 

He wished the children a Merry Christmas, 
bade them good-bye, and went off with the 
lamp under his arm. 

He kept on bumping into people and shout¬ 
ing “Merry Christmas!” and people called 
back, “Merry Christmas! Happy New 
Year!” 

The crusty old gentleman took the lamp 
straight to the house where the poor old women 
lived and they all wished one another a 
Merry Christmas!* 

When the crusty old gentleman got home, 
he was surprised to see holly wreaths hanging 
in the windows and a cousin he had not seen 
[ 102 ] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


for many years stood in the doorway to greet 
him. 

His cousin stood with his arms full of bun¬ 
dles and shouted, “Merry Christmas! ” 

Late that night, when the chimes rang, 
David and Doris and the old women and the 
crusty old gentleman cried out, “ Merry Christ¬ 
mas ! ” and the trees in the woodland whis¬ 
pered, 

We’re very happy now because 
We all believe in Santa Claus. 


“ Tell it again,” cried Jack. 

“Tell it again,” cried Jill. 

Little Mary said, “Tell more about David 
and Doris.” 

Fred said, “Tell more about the crusty old 
gentleman.” 

The great, great, great grandfather replied, 

Next fall, when Christmas time draws near, 
Perhaps this story you may hear. 

“ He means we can act out the whole story,” 
said Fred. 

The Pixie turned a backward somersault. 

[ 103 ] 



CHAPTER XII 


THE SEWING SCHOOL 

o ne day the Pixie said, 

Will no one tell me what to do ? 

I’m tired of work and play-time, too. 

I’ll help you make up your mind, said the Cat; 

I’m rather an expert fellow at that. 

The Friendly Lion lashed his tail, and the 
great, great, great grandfather said, 

A Sewing School, I think you’ll find, 

Will be exactly to your mind. 

They all went to work to make a sign. 

They cut out large letters and pasted them 
on a banner. 

The sign read, 

Come to the Pixie’s Sewing School; 

There is no order, time, or rule! 

They had no sooner put the banner outside, 
than “rap-a-tap,” was heard on the door, and 
[ 104] 


THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


in walked five-and-twenty little Pixies with 
five-and-twenty little work-bags on their arms. 
They carried five-and-twenty little camp- 
chairs, and sat down in a row, singing, 

The needle is a useful tool, 

To use in any Sewing School. 

The great, great, great grandfather whis¬ 
pered something to the Friendly Lion, and he 
in turn, whispered to the Cat, and the Cat 
whispered to the Pixie, 

What sewing shall we do today? 

Better decide without delay. 

The Pixie shook his head, for he did not 
need a stitch of clothing! 

The five-and-twenty little Pixies sang, 

Use your needle with much care, 

For you see the point is there; 

Back and forth the needles gleam, 

As the Pixies sew a seam! 

The Cat was going to help them decide who 
to sew for, when to the surprise of all, the 
needles began to talk. 

[ 105] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


They said, 

The needles are quite old and.wise; 

They see things through their shining eyes. 

The five-and-twenty Pixies cried in one 
breath, 


What do you see ? 

Oh, come, tell me! 

The needles continued, 

Hard Times has come to visit Fred, 

And all their family, it is said. 

Now, will you believe it, at this very min¬ 
ute, the Little Mother was saying, “Jack 
needs a new shirt, and Jill a new apron; Fred 
needs overalls, and Little Mary a sunbonnet. 
Dear me! with father away in the army, Hard 
Times has come to visit us, for I have so little 
money to spend. 

What you say is very true; 

I’m Hard Times; I’ll visit you, 

said a little old man, no other than Hard 
Times himself! 


[ 106 ] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The Little Mother replied, 

Hard Times, that is very true, Sir; 

But your croaking will not do, Sir. 

Then she took up her work, and began to 
mend Fred’s overalls, and she said with a 
smile, “ If there was only a Pixie in the house 
this minute, perhaps he would help me!” 

The five-and-twenty Pixies said at this very 
minute to the needles, 

Tell us what to sew today; 

We are really tired of play. 

Then the needles told about the Little 
Mother, and what the children needed most, 
and the yardstick began to measure, and the 
scissors snipped away, “click, click, click,” the 
needles flew to and fro! 

The Pixie cried out, 

A shirt, sunbonnet, and apron, too, 

And overalls much too large for you. 

Then all the Pixies laughed. They were 
making the garments the right size for the chil¬ 
dren of course. 


[ 107 1 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


“Snip-snap” went the thread, and the five- 
and-twenty Pixies pricked their fingers, and 
our own dear Pixie cried, 

’Tis the time to whistle and laugh and shout; 

Tis the only way to keep Hard Times out! 

Sure enough, Hard Times was looking in 
the window! 

He sang, 

The Little Mother sent me away; 

Can I stay with you a year and a day? 

The Pixies laughed until they turned five- 
and-twenty somersaults, and Hard Times soon 
disappeared! 

Then Little Behind-Hand came in and said, 

Little Behind-Hand is always late; 

I make some trouble, at any rate! 

Then the five-and-twenty little Pixies 
jumped back on their chairs and cried, 

Sew the buttons on with care; 

Be sure your knot is always there. 

They sewed with a right good will, and the 
Pixie danced in a ring singing, 

I suppose you think it cool; 

I don’t sew in my own school! 

[ 108] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The five-and-twenty Pixies said, 

When each garment’s done with care, 

We beg that you may take them there. 

“To Jack and Jill and Fred and Mary,” 
said the great, great, great grandfather. 

I must find some paper and string; 

Perhaps I’ve saved the very thing! 

he continued, for the great, great, great grand¬ 
father saved every bit of paper and string he 
saw come into the house. 

The needles cried, 

Sew away and stitch much faster; 

We will never meet disaster. 

Little Behind-Hand said, 

You are busy as can be; 

This is not the place for me. 

The Cat stood on his head for joy to see 
Little Behind-Hand go out the door. 

Soon the overalls were finished. 

Soon the shirt was finished. 

Soon the apron and sunbonnet were done. 

[ 109 ] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The five-and-twenty Pixies picked up their 
five-and-twenty work-bags, and made five- 
and-twenty bows. 

“Patter, patter, patter / 5 went their little 
feet down the path. 

The great, great, great grandfather helped 
the Pixie make four neat little packages of 
the finished garments, and the Friendly Lion 
said, 

Get on my back, we’ll take a ride; 

Hard Times yet may be outside. 

The Pixie got on the Friendly Lion’s back, 
and they rode away, away, away in the moon¬ 
light. 

The Pixie peeped in the window at the 
Little Mother, by and by, and saw she had 
fallen asleep. 

The Pixie said, 

A Pixie can creep in wherever he tries; 

He’ll give the Mother a fine surprise. 

He crept through a crack under the window 
and put the packages in the Little Mother’s 
lap. Then he crept back and waited on the 
window-sill to see what would happen. 

[ no] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The Little Mother woke up and saw the 
packages. 

She untied the string. 

There were the overalls for Fred, and the 
shirt for Jack. There was the apron for Jill 
and the sunbonnet for Little Mary. 

The Little Mother thought she was dream¬ 
ing until the children came trooping into the 
room. 

Fred set up a shout. 

Jack and Jill danced in a ring. 

Little Mary asked, “Did Daddy send a 
present?” 

The Little Mother said, “I think the Pixie 
sent them.” 

The Pixie rode home quite satisfied singing, 
Give me a needle, give me a spool; 

I think I’ll join the Sewing School! 

He met the five-and-twenty little Pixies go- 
ing for a hike. Off came their five-and-twenty 
little caps and they sang, 

Give us a yardstick, give us a stool; 

We’ll all enroll in the Sewing School! 

With a merry “Ha, ha!” they went off 
laughing and singing in the moonlight. 

[ in 1 



CHAPTER XIII 


THE FOURTH OF JULY PARADE 

qpHE Pixie sat making a sign. On it, he 
printed the words, “To Let.” 

He sang, 

A little wee house beside the sea, 

Is not big enough for you and me. 

“What do you mean by that?” asked the 
great, great, great grandfather twirling his 
beard three times. 

“What do you mean by that?” asked the 
Friendly Lion. 

The Cat danced on his head, and the Pixie 
said, 


Don’t anybody give the alarm; 

But I want to go and live on a farm. 

“ The Pixie on a farm,” said the great, great, 
great grandfather, just to see how it would 
sound! 


[ 112] 


THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The Friendly Lion began to wipe his eyes 
but the Cat said, 

This thing does have a serious look; 

But, Pixie, you used to live in a book. 

The Pixie looked cross-eyed as he replied, 

I’ve lived in this book a month and a day, 

So very soon I will travel away. 

I don’t know what would have happened 
next but they heard the boom of cannon. They 
heard firecrackers and torpedoes, and one and 
all they cried, “Hurrah, for the Fourth of 
July!” 

Just then Jack and Jill came trooping in 
and they cried, “Come, and join the big 
parade.” 

The Pixie vanished! 

He went into the great, great, great grand¬ 
father’s workshop. He found a new hiding 
place. 

The great, great, great grandfather said, 
“Jack, here is a new drum, Jill, here is a red, 
white, and blue sunbonnet.” 

“Where do I come in 6 ?” asked the Friendly 
Lion. 


[ 113 1 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


“Where do I come in?” asked the Cat. 

The Friendly Lion soon took a flag and 
joined the parade, but the great, great, great 
grandfather stayed at home. 

Jack said, “Where is the Pixie?” 

Jill said, “He will surprise us by and by.” 
They soon joined the big parade. 

The girls marched as Red Cross nurses, and 
the boys marched as soldiers, and Jack led them 
beating a drum. 

He thought he heard a fairy voice call, 

Take care, Jack, and beat me lightly, 

For I ask it most politely. 

Jack said, 

A drum is always to be heard; 

Such a request is quite absurd. 

On and on came the big parade. 

There were floats and prancing horses. 

The American flag was seen everywhere. 
They all went to the park by and by and had 
red lemonade and peanuts. 

Jack said, “The Pixie did not come after 
all.” 


[ 114] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Jill said, “It was too bad for the Pixie to 
stay at home.” 

Little Mary said, “Oh, oh, oh, see your 
drum! ” 

Fred said, “On my tintype, I believe the 
Pixie is in your drum!” 

Fred ran, but the drum was soon out of 
sight. 

Yhen the strangest things began to happen! 

The Liberty Bell came down from the plat¬ 
form, saying, 

I ring again o’er all creation, 

For we’re an independent nation! 

The children cried, “Hurrah for the Liberty 
Bell! Hurrah for the Fourth of July! ” 

The Pixie peeped out from the bell and dis¬ 
appeared. 

Then the firecrackers jumped off the stand 
and danced a merry little dance, and the pop¬ 
corn balls flew about as thick as snowflakes! 

The fireworks began to go off of themselves, 
but the funniest thing of all was to happen. 

When the band played Yankee Doodle , the 
flute player blew on his flute, and out jumped 
the Pixie, big as life and twice as natural! 

C 1x5 1 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


When the band began to play Dixie , the cor¬ 
net player blew on his cornet, and out jumped 
the Pixie. 

So, it went on, until they began to play The 
Star-Spangled Banner , then the Pixie jumped 
about on the big drum, keeping perfect time 
with his little feet. > 

Everyone said, “What a cute little fairy! 
What fine music for the Fourth of July! ” 

When the children were going home, the 
Pixie was nowhere to be seen, but a familiar 
voice cried, 

I will very gladly come, 

If you’ll lightly beat the drum. 

“The drum, the drum!” cried the children, 
“the Pixie is in the drum! ” 

Jack beat the drum very lightly, and heard 
the Pixie dancing about inside! 

They could hear the Pixie singing, 

A rat-a-tat-tat, a tum-a-tum-tum, 

I love the flag and little red drum. 

Then the most surprising thing happened! 

The Pixie was no longer in the drum! 

[ n6] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


He jumped out of Jill’s little red, white, 
and blue sunbonnet singing, 

Wherever I go, whatever I do, 

I love the colors, red, white, and blue. 

“How did you get out of the drum?” asked 
Little Mary. 

The Pixie danced about on top of her flag 
singing, 

I’ll keep some secrets to tell, by and by, 

Upon this glorious Fourth of July! 

Fred said, 

The Pixie’s growing rather bolder, 

As we all do, when we’re older. 

“Hurrah!” cried the children, “Fred be¬ 
lieves in the Pixie at last.” 

The Pixie sang, 

Ha, ha! there may be nothing in it; 

He changes his mind any minute. 


Then he curled up in Fred’s coat pocket and 
fell asleep! 


[ ii7l 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The children stopped in front of the Pixie’s 
house and he woke up singing, 

This house is small, but you’ll agree, 

’Tis very pleasant by the sea. 

Then he whispered something to each of the 
children in turn and they cried, “Oh!” and 
“Ah!” and “Oh, Pixie! you don’t mean real 
cut-out figures, you can’t mean a real Puppet 
Show! ” 

The Pixie replied, 

When cut-out figures come alive, 

We may see seven, eight, or five! 

“Not nine” said Fred, and a breeze came 
up and took off his cap, and it went sailing into 
the sea! 

Jack said, “When you go to your farm do 
take me with you, I like little ponies and sheep 
and pigs.” 

“Please take me too,” said Jill. 

At this very minute, they heard the great, 
great, great grandfather say, 

Cut-out figures voices find, 

“ Right foot! left foot! ” learn to mind. 

[n8] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Then they heard his wonderful cut-out 
figures move “ right foot! left foot! right foot! 
left foot! ” but they did not hear them speak a 
word. 

The great, great, great grandfather cried, 

Very truly it is said 

That each is but a wooden head. 

The Pixie turned a backward somersault 
and said, 

Laughing and singing, toward home you must go; 

Tomorrow we’ll give you a real Puppet Show. 

The children went home laughing and 
shouting, “ Hurrah for the Pixie! Hurrah for 
the Fourth of July! Hurrah for a real Puppet 
Show!” 


[ 119] 



CHAPTER XIV 


THE PUPPET SHOW 

nPHE Puppets were very nervous. 

It was almost time for the show to 
begin! 

They moved slowly on wires like little 
marionettes. 

Punch said in his cut-out voice, 

I’ve forgotten what I have to do; 

I’ll give my part in the play to you. 

Judy answered in her cut-out voice, 

We all would act well if we could, 

But we are made of wood, wood, wood! 

The other wooden figures came on the tiny 
stage and they sang, 

We march on with an even tread, 

And each one is a wooden head. 

They could not remember another thing 
they were to say, but repeated these two lines 
over and over. 


[ 120] 


THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


They were very stiff figures except the 
Jumping-Jack and he often jumped out of 
turn. 

One comical fellow said, 

If my mouth were larger I would talk, 

As well as stiffly learn to walk. 

Another figure cried, 

I’m always afraid alone in the dark; 

I wish I could live in a Noah’s Ark. 

At that, all the wooden figures crowded to¬ 
gether and said, 

Now we’re alive, let’s have a lark, 

And call all the animals from the Ark. 

No sooner said, than done. 

The door into the great, great, great grand¬ 
father’s workshop opened, and the wooden ani¬ 
mals came out of the Noah’s Ark, two and two, 
two and two; they formed a cute little pro¬ 
cession ! 

They marched across the stage. 

Then the wooden figures began to weep and 
wail, “We do not remember a single word the 
[ 121 ] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


great, great, great grandfather taught us, so 
how can we give a play?” 

Then Punchinello, the smallest wooden 
figure of all piped up and said, “Let us give 
our own little play, we live beside the sea 
and have seen many wonderful things. All 
we need for a stage-setting is to clothe every¬ 
thing about us with Imagination! ” 

“Hear, hear,” cried the wooden figures, “we 
will give a wooden play.” 

At this very minute the great, g r eat, great 
grandfather came in and took a seat in the 
audience. 

The Pixie perched on the arm of his chair. 

Jack and Jill and Fred and Mary came in. 

The Friendly Lion and Cat came in and 
then the wooden figures stood in a row. 

To the surprise of the audience, at this very 
minute Imagination came forward and said, 

A Puppet Show beside the sea 
Is quite unusual, you’ll agree; 

Imagine seaweed upon the floor, 

And Mermaids bringing plenty more! 

The Sea-Shell Fairies dance and play, 

And Puppets while the hours away. 

[ 122 ] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Then Imagination retired toward the back 
of the stage and Punch came forward with a 
stiff bow, saying, 

The animals come two and two, 

Just as they always used to do. 

Then, the Noah’s Ark animals came and 
marched two and two, and the wooden figures 
moved stiffly about on their wires. 

A very long-nosed fellow who acted as a 
clown shouted, 

Wooden figures as a rule 
Do not recite in Pixie’s school. 

Then the Jumping-Jack jumped out of turn 
and Punch and Judy began to scold. 

Punchinello said, “I feel like punching 
someone on account of my queer name but in¬ 
stead, I will tell you about my visit to the 
lighthouse. I went up a winding staircase to 
see the great light, I went up, up, up, up.” 

“Stop him,” cried the wooden figures, “he 
will never get down!” 

“Up, up, up, up,” he continued. 

Just then, a wooden soldier came in and 

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THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


said, “I feel like using my wooden gun, to be 
a real soldier I ought to shoot somebody!” 

Then Punchinello was still. 

The Pixie stuffed his little fist into his little 
mouth to keep from laughing out loud, and 
Punch said, “Now, let somebody tell how it 
felt to be carved from wood! ” 

“ You tell it,” said Judy. 

“You tell it,” said Punch. 

Then a wooden sailor called, 

There’s a vessel waiting here for you; 

Some people call it a wooden shoe. 

“A wooden shoe,” cried the wooden figures 
in their wooden voices. “Oh, if someone 
would only cut our wires, away we would sail 
in the wooden shoe.” 

Then a Woodman came in with a wooden 
ax. 

“Cut me down first,” said Punch. 

“Cut me down first,” said Judy. 

“Cut me down first,” shouted one and all. 

The Friendly Lion began to growl in his 
corner, and the Cat stood on his head. 

The Cat was just going to help them decide 
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THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


what was to be done, when a little Clothespin 
Boy and Girl in the audience cried, 

We’re Clothespins and we never tire 

Of hanging up upon the wire. 

“Oh!” and “Ah!” cried the Puppets, 
“please do not let the Woodman cut us down 
then.” 

Punchinello said, nodding his wooden head, 

Of one thing now I’m very certain; 

All we need is a cut-out curtain. 


Then the most surprising thing happened! 

The Pixie pressed a little bell, and a wooden 
curtain began to come down slowly over the 
little theater. 

Jack and Jill were so afraid that the little 
play was over that they clapped their hands, 
and Little Mary cried, “Play it again, play it 
again! ” 

The curtain rose slowly and the Puppets 
gave a wooden dance singing, 

It is a pleasure to repeat 
A wooden dance, with wooden feet. 

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THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The curtain began to fall again and Fred 
said, 

Oh, wooden figures in a row, 

Some secrets you must surely know. 

The curtain rose slowly again and the Pup¬ 
pets waltzed round and round singing, 

Imagination, as you know, 

Will clothe you all before you go. 

Then to the surprise, of the others, Jack and 
Jill and Mary and Fred, imagined they were 
wooden figures, and they began to whirl slowly 
round and round. 

The Pixie said, 

I like Puppets as a rule, 

But now it’s time to close the school. 

Then the children stopped dancing. 

The great, great, great grandfather said a 
few magic words, and the Puppets lost their 
cut-out voices and fell asleep upon the wires. 

The little, wooden curtain came down again 
and the Puppet Show was over. 

'[ 126] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Then the great, great, great grandfather 
said, 

Come into my workroom, if you’re able, 

For I have something on the table. 

They all trooped into the workroom. 

There, on the table, lay four cute little 
wooden figures. 

One of them jumped into Jack’s coat pocket, 
and one of them jumped into Jill’s coat pocket. 

One of them jumped into Little Mary’s coat 
pocket, and one of them jumped onto the brim 
of Fred’s hat. 

The children were clothed with Imagination 
for days and days, and they made a little Pup¬ 
pet Show at home and sometimes the Puppets 
found cut-out voices and sang for them, 

We like to play in our wooden way, 

Said the Puppets all, in their voices gay, 

As school is closed we will away, 

And all enjoy our holiday; 

Our songs and verses we repeat, 

In wooden voices, low and sweet. 


1 127] 



CHAPTER XV 


CIRCUS DAY IN SCHOOL 

I’ll be the clown, in striped gown, 

And sing my songs all upside-down, 

O ANG the Pixie, as he sat in his little school- 
^ room and planned a real Circus Day 
parade. 

He called the great, great, great grand¬ 
father to help him and the great, great, great 
grandfather said, 

We must practice tricks and things, 

In really, truly circus rings. 

“Tricks,” echoed the Friendly Lion. 

“ Tricks,” said the Cat, standing on his 
head. 

My! what a busy time they had! 

They cleared the desks away from the little 
wee schoolroom. 

They made a ring of chalk. 

The wooden animals marched out of the 
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THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


Noah’s Ark two and two, and the cut-out 
figures marched round in a circle singing, 

Round and round the circle go; 

Thus we make a Puppet Show. 

The Elephants and Camels and Giraffes 
practiced their tricks, and the Friendly Lion 
roared so loudly, while the great, great, great 
grandfather took a shot at him with his camera, 
that the Pixie said, 

If he roars so in a rage, 

We will put him in a cage. 

“Back on the flag, you mean,” said the 
Friendly Lion lashing his tail. 

The Sea-Shell Fairies came in and danced 
and the Trapeze Sea-Shell Fairy performed 
many tricks. 

The Pixie said, 

There is no band, I am afraid; 

No one can play for our parade. 

The Cat’s eyes grew as big as saucers, he 
took out his fiddle and began to play, while 
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THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


all the cut-out figures danced in a ring, sing¬ 
ing, 

Circus Days will come and go, 

So sing the Puppets in the show. 

Suddenly, surprisingly, instantly, and with¬ 
out any warning whatever, Hard Times came 
rapping and tapping at the door! 

He leaned on a cane and bent over nearly 
double as he cried, 

To snub Hard Times now hardly pays, 

For I enjoy good Circus Days! 

The Puppet figures stopped acting, but 
cried in their cut-out voices, 

We’ll hold a circus every year, 

But, Hard Times, you’re not welcome here. 

Then Little Behind-Hand peeped in the 
window and said, 

Ha, ha! you see I’m always late; 

’Tis fun to make good people wait. 

Then the Cat played out of tune, and the 
great, great, great grandfather shook his head 

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THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


and the Pixie saw that something must be done 
at once, so he said, 

Hard Times, we laugh, we’re not afraid, 

You’ll join a Circus Day parade. 

Then everyone laughed, and the place be¬ 
came so merry that Hard Times left in a hurry 
and Little Behind-Hand went away, hanging 
to his coat-tails. 

Then the Pixie walked the tight rope sing¬ 
ing, 

A Pixie is cunning, it is said, 

Whether he walks on his heels or his head. 

Sometimes he took a tumble, but he was so 
used to turning somersaults, that he did not 
mind it at all. 

The great, great, great grandfather said, 
“We must invite all the children to our 
circus.” 

“Invite the animals too,” said the Friendly 
Lion, lashing his tail. 

He looked very wise, for there was Old Man 
Tiny-Tail sitting on the window-sill, murmur¬ 
ing, “I lost something.” 

[ I 3 I 1 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


“Do buy him a new pocketbook,” said the 
great, great, great grandfather. 

Old Man Never-Tire peeped in saying, “I 
forgot something.” 

“Do get a drink of water,” said the Pixie. 

Old Man Touch-Me-Not bristled as usual, 
and Old Man Hug-Me-Tight said, 

I hug someone whenever I call, 

But I love the Pixie the best of all. 

Everything would have gone well I am sure, 
if the Friendly Lion had not stepped outside. 

He roared and roared, for the Wishing 
Stone was gone. 

He said, 

The Wishing Stone’s gone, so never again 
Can we have little animals and little men. 

They all set up a shout, “ What can we do? 
How can the children come to our circus? How 
can the friendly animals come inside?” 

I ll help you make up your mind, said the Cat; 

I’m a very expert fellow at that. 

They all sat in a circle for one hour and 
[ 132] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


itwenty-two minutes waiting for the Cat to 
speak. 

Finally he stood on his head and said, 

If the children can’t come to us today, 

We’ll march over the hills and far away. 

No sooner said, than done. 

They formed the cutest little procession you 
ever saw, and everyone waved a flag. 

The Pixie led the way singing, 

In gay colors we’re arrayed; 

Come, join the Circus Day parade. 

All the animals from the woods joined them, 
and they went to town and marched up the 
street. 

Jack looked out of the window and called, 
“What is that?” 

Jill said, “I hear a fiddle, can it be the 
Cat?” 

Little Mary said, “I hear cut-out voices!” 

Fred said, “I hear the tramping of many 
feet.” 

Little Mother said, “Get on your caps and 
see what is coming. It sounds to me like a real 
Circus Day parade.” 


1133 1 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 

The children hurried out-doors in time to see 
the little procession pass. 

The great, great, great grandfather waved 
his beard and shouted, 

We all go marching down the street; 

Good-bye, until next time we meet. 

The Friendly Lion said, lashing his tail, 

Good-bye, sometime I may explain 

Why I like the flag of Spain. 

The cut-out figures said in their cut-out 
voices, 

’Tis a pleasure to me, and a pleasure to you, 

To march ’neath the red, and white, and blue. 

The Cat stood on his head saying, 

I call good-bye, but if you look, 

You’ll find me in many a story book. 

The animals from the Noah’s Ark called, 

Cut-out animals, ’tis true, 

Also call good-bye to you. 

“Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah!” cried Jack and 
Jill, “Come back, come back, come back!” 

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THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The funny little procession moved on down 
the street. 

The children said, “We wonder when we 
will see the Pixie again/' 

That night, when they had gone to bed, they 
saw the Pixie peeping in the window. 

He still had on his little clown suit, that 
he wore in the parade, and the Cat stood be¬ 
side him. 

The Pixie cried, 

You see, I have such funny ways; 

But really, I like Circus Days! 

Then, he disappeared, and Jack said, “We 
forgot to ask when we would see him again." 

Jill said, “He always turns up so unex¬ 
pectedly!" 

Then the Pixie returned and danced on his 
head, singing, 

Don’t forget, it is the rule, 

To be late at Pixie’s school! 

The children laughed until they cried. 

They got up and flattened their noses 
against the window-pane, and said, “Oh Pixie 
[ i35 ] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


come back, tell us when we will meet again.” 

The Pixie danced on the telephone wire 
near them, and sang, 

Oh, really, children, I cannot say, 

I’ll tell you tomorrow, or yesterday. 

I think farm life is very fine, 

If you leave out number nine. 

The children cried, “Ha, ha! perhaps we 
will meet you next on the farm.” 

The Pixie screwed up his funny, little face 
into one thousand wrinkles and said, 

Wherever children are good and gay, 

The Pixie helps them in their play. 

“That sounds as though the Pixie meant to 
stay,” said Jack, as he vanished. 

Jill said, “Here he is, on the window-sill 
again.” 

The Pixie cried, 

Look under your pillow, whatever you do, 

Before Pixie calls good-bye, to you. 

The children looked under their pillows and 
they each found a cute little picture of a circus 
parade. 


[136] 



THE PIXIE IN SCHOOL 


The great, great, great grandfather had 
taken the pictures. 

The Pixie danced once more on the window¬ 
sill, singing, 

I’m a Pixie, very merry; 

Trouble we won’t borrow; 

For I say good-bye today, 

And how-do-you-do tomorrow! 

Jack and Jill were very happy, and they 
dreamed about the Pixie all night. 


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